Help save water

Water scarcity is a real problem in the UK, yet we are among the highest consumers of water in Europe. The good news is, there are many simple things you can do to save water.

London is currently in drought. A temporary use ban (hosepipe ban) is operating across the region. To find out more about the hosepipe ban and how it will affect you, visit Thames Water's Waterwisely website.

Free water saving devices are available to Thames Water customers from the Thames Water website.

Facts about water consumption in the UK

• The UK has less available water per person than most of Europe and London is drier than Istanbul.
• The average London resident uses 338 pints or 160 litres of water per person per day. And this is just for home use.
• If you take into account the water used or contained in everything we consume, we each use an average of 3,400 litres a day. In other words, as a country of 69 million, we are draining the equivalent of 65 Olympic-size swimming pools every minute.

What you can do

The Council is doing all it can to solve the problem, but you can do your part too. Here are some tips on how to reduce your water usage.

Stop running taps

When you turn on the tap, up to five litres of water flows through every minute. In many cases, much of this running water isn't doing anything and is wasted. Here's what you can do:

1. Wash vegetables and fruit in a bowl, not under the tap - then use the leftover water to water house plants.
2. Keep a bottle of water in the fridge so you don't have to run taps until the water is cold.
3. Do NOT leave the tap running when brushing your teeth, shaving or soaping your hands.

The little things that count

Small changes to the way we do things around the house can help save water and money. Here are some examples:

1. Fill your kettle with only the amount of water you need which will also save energy.
2. Put cotton wool and tissues in the bin rather than flush them down the toilet.
3. Wait until you have a full load before you use your washing machine or dishwasher.
4. Collect rainwater in a water butt and use it for watering the garden and washing cars. Thames Water offers discounted water butts with free delivery from £31.95.
5. Even if you're not on a water meter, there are still savings to be had. On average, water heating at home is responsible for 25 per cent of your household energy bill.

Water-saving devices

1. Use a 'save-a-flush' or 'hippo' if your toilet cistern is an old one. Generally, for cisterns installed before 1991, use a 'hippo'; for cisterns installed between 1991 and 2001, use a 'save-a-flush'.
2. Invest in an aerated or optimised-flow shower head. These maintain your shower experience but could save up to six litres of water a minute.
3. Insert flow restrictors onto your bathroom sink taps. They reduce the volume of water running from a tap.

If Thames Water supplies your water, you can order a free water saving device from the Thames Water website.

Other useful things you can and should do

Old or damaged plumbing can cause water wastage. Here are some things you can do about the equipment and appliances in your house.

1. Replace worn tap washers - dripping taps can waste up to four litres of water a day.
2. Make sure your water pipes and external taps are lagged in time for the cold winter months - burst pipes can cause serious damage and waste water.
3. Check for leaks by turning off the water and taking two readings several minutes apart. If the readings differ, there may be a leak.
4. Buy water-efficient household appliances.

What the Royal Borough is doing

We are reviewing all our water needs to find out how we can reduce water usage. We are also exploring the possibilities of collecting rain water or other water locally for reuse. In the Royal Borough's corporate buildings, we are looking at how we can challenge existing practices or use alternative technologies to help us save water.

Further information

In a bid to save water in London, Thames Water regularly puts in place a hosepipe ban. Find out more about these bans on the Thames Water website.