This year promises to be one of the hottest and driest on record in Northern Europe. As water reserves continue to fall to dangerous levels, we all have to take precautionary measures. It’s at times like these when we realise just how precious a commodity water is — and most of us want to do our bit.
Fortunately, saving water at home isn’t rocket science. If you make a series of relatively small changes to the way you use water, they can add up to a huge saving over the course of a month. And if we all make these changes, we can ensure droughts don’t lead to serious shortages. Now, everyone knows the basics, such as not using hose pipes and pressure washers — but there are many other ways to make a difference.
The following eight tips should allow you to use less water, and dramatically reduce your metered water bill in the process.
1. Don’t run the tap unnecessarily for drinking water
Many of us run the cold tap for a few seconds in order to let warmer water run away. However, it’s important to remember that doing this four or five times a day can needlessly waste around 10 litres of water. Instead, pour drinking water straight into a jug, and chill it down in the fridge.
2. Don’t run the hot tap into the sink while waiting for it to reach temperature
The average hot tap takes between five and 10 seconds to deliver piping hot water from a standard combi-boiler system. Never leave the tap running into the sink while you wait for the hot stuff to arrive. Instead, run the water into a container, and use it for cleaning or cooking.
3. Steam your vegetables
You can use up to three litres of water to boil a large pan of potatoes or vegetables. However, steaming those foods uses a fraction of that amount. In addition to saving water, you’ll also be saving precious nutrients.
4. Use the mini-flush option on your toilet
Most households use a serious amount of water for flushing toilets. Modern toilet cisterns are designed to deliver a main flush and a much smaller flush — using around a quarter of the water. Wherever possible, use the mini-flush button on your toilet to reduce your usage by up to half.
5. Clean with steam
Modern steam cleaners deliver a jet of superheated steam. These cleaners are now so efficient, they cut through large accumulations of dirt and kill bacteria while leaving surfaces dry to the touch afterwards. It’s possible to clean all the surfaces in a kitchen with less than a litre of water. To put this into perspective, cleaning buckets contain between five and 25 litres of water.
6. Change your bathing habits
If you only have a bath, fill it with an inch less of water than usual. Of course, the best thing you can do is shower. At times of water shortages, local authorities and water providers recommend you limit your showers to just four minutes.
7. Collect water from your tumble dryer
If you have a condensing tumble dryer, you’ll know how much water it collects over the course of just a day or two. Instead of throwing this water down the drain, use it for cleaning. After all, what you collect in two days is usually enough to fill the average cleaning bucket.
8. Use your water-efficient dishwasher
The latest dishwashers use less water than ever before. Extremely small amounts of water can be used to clean full loads, including the rinse cycle. To give you an idea of how much water you can save, a modern dishwasher uses less than half a sink of water for a standard cycle.
As you can see, it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference. Save water wherever you can, and you can cut your carbon footprint, reduce your water bills and save precious water during times of drought.
