WasteNot Water

• By using a washing up bowl instead of a running tap, you can reduce wasted water by up to 50 per cent (source: United Utilities)
• When running the hot tap, collect the run off cold water and use it to water your house plants
• Add only what you need in the kettle – some kettles have a useful measure for you to gauge how much water you need

• New dishwashers can be more efficient than washing by hand in a bowl, some using less than 12 litres per cycle
• Wait until the dishwasher is full before starting it, thereby reducing the number of times you need to put it on
• Only use the washing machine when you have a full load. Cutting down by just one wash will save around 50 litres of water
  (source: Wessex Water)

• By replacing a bath with a short shower you could save around 40 litres of water
• Spending 1 minute less in the shower can save 10 litres of water
• Fitting a water efficient shower head or flow regulator restricts the flow of water to 8 litres a minute
• By turning off the water whilst brushing your teeth you can save 9 litres a minute
  (source: Wessex Water)

• Fix any leaking pipes or dripping taps. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day (source: Southern Water)
• Fix your leaking toilet. A leak can waste an average of around 400 litres of water a day, the equivalent of five full bathtubs (source: Thames Water)
• Place a save a flush in your toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water used every time you flush
• Install a dual flush button on your toilet if possible
• Does your toilet need replacing? If so, replace it with one that has a sink on top. The clean water used to refill the toilet comes through the tap so you can wash your hands first before the water enters the cistern to be used for the next flush.

• Save water by using a watering can instead of a hosepipe, preferably using water stored in a water butt

Did you know? Around 90,000 litres of water falls onto a roof in a year, enough to fill 473 water butts (source: Northumbrian Water)

• Water your garden early in the morning or late in the evening when less water is lost through evaporation

• Grow plants that don’t require lots of watering e.g. lavender
• Click here for more examples of drought resistant plants from the RHS

• Add a layer of mulch (e.g. bark chips or manure) over your soil to help retain moisture
• Add water retention crystals to pots and hanging baskets to help keep compost moist

• Save litres of water by using a bucket and sponge to wash your car rather than using a hosepipe