DEFRA - Watersaving Tips & Why

We can make a difference

Water is one of life’s essentials, yet in the UK every day millions of litres of water disappear down the drain unnecessarily.

There is less water available per person in some parts of the country than in the Sudan(1) and new pressures caused by climate change and population growth are likely to stretch water resources even further.

But cutting the amount of water we lose this way is easy to do, and it doesn’t mean settling for lower standards of living.

Did you know?

• Running the tap can use six litres of water a minute. If the entire adult population of England and Wales turned off the tap while brushing their teeth, we could save 12.8 million buckets(2) a day. That’s enough to fill 72 Olympic sized swimming pools.(3)

• Almost one third of all the drinkable water we use in our homes literally goes down the pan – around 50 litres every day for each one of us or enough per person to fill 1,300 buckets a year.

• A dripping tap is more than just annoying - it can waste up to 15 litres of water a day, or almost 5,500 litres a year. That’s the equivalent of 8 buckets of water in a week, and 416 in a year.

• Hosepipes are one of the greatest water guzzlers using up to a mighty 18 litres a
minute. That’s 78 buckets of water in an hour! Washing your car with a hosepipe can
take more water than the average family uses in a whole day. If every car(4) in the UK was washed for 30 minutes using a hosepipe(5), it would use enough water to fill 13 Wembley Stadiums(6) or a colossal 1 billion buckets.

Did you know?

More information on saving water is available from DirectGov at

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Energyandwatersaving

(1) Waterwise 2008
(2) Based on a bucket volume of 14 litres
(3) Volume of an Olympic size swimming pool volume 2500m3 (50m x 25m x 2m)
(4) Based on assumption of 28 million cars in the UK (based on Dft and DRDNI transport statistics, 2006)
(5) Based on a hosepipe flow rate of 18 litres per minute
(6) Wembley Stadium bowl volume 1,139,100m3


Top tips for saving water

• Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth.

• Replace worn washers in dripping taps.

• Fitting a cistern displacement device such as a ‘hippo’ in the WC cistern helps reduce the flush volume.

• Take short showers instead of baths.

• Use the minimum amount of water required when you boil water in saucepans and kettles; that way you’ll save energy as well as water.

• Collecting rainwater in water butts and using a watering can instead of a hose
can really make a difference. If you prefer to use a hosepipe, fit a trigger nozzle
to control the flow.

• Wait until you have a full load before switching on dishwashers and washing
machines.

• Wash vegetables and fruit in a bowl rather than under a running tap. The water collected could be used for watering pot plants.

• Lag water pipes and external taps to prevent bursts in cold weather.

• Wash your car with a bucket and sponge, rinsing off the suds with a watering

(March 2008)