Water saving: Keeping it down

Water-saving tips to help you conserve this precious resource and reduce your bills at the same time.



It's unfortunately true that water shortages could soon become a fact of life. Luckily there are plenty of easy ways to keep down the amount you use and still enjoy your luxurious new bathroom.

Toilets are one of the largest users of water in the home. According to the Bathroom Manufacturers' Association 45 million domestic WCs use 270 million litres of fresh water daily.

Niagara Falls

Looked at another way, that's roughly the amount of water flowing over Niagara Falls every two minutes - certainly enough to give you pause for thought!

Fitting a new cistern could be enough to make savings. Toilets made since 1993 use considerably less than their older predecessors and fitting a water-saving device could save you a further three litres per flush.

A dual-flush system uses around 4.5 litres per flush - that's half the amount of a cistern from the 1960s.

Modern plumbing and taps are another water-saver as you eliminate potentially leaky pipes and stop drips.

check for leaks

Anyone with a water meter can check for leaks by monitoring the reading over a two-hour period when no water is being used.

A dripping tap can pour up to 90 litres a week straight down the sink - and all you need to do to stop it is change the washer. Spray taps and ultra low-flow shower heads can also help with water economy.

Everyone loves a good long soak in the bath - but make sure you're getting plenty of use out of your shower too. Taking a five-minute shower every day will use a third of the water of a bath and help save you up to 400 litres a week.

water saver

And, while you're in the bath, remember to turn the hot tap down, rather than the cold tap up when you want some cooler water as this is another water saver.

Lastly, don't forget the golden rule of saving water - don't leave the tap running while shaving, washing your face or cleaning your teeth. Fill the basin or a tumbler with water instead.

Try a few of these simple tips and you should find your water bills and your conscience are both a bit lighter - leaving you more time and money to enjoy your beautiful new bathroom! It's got to be worth a go...