Simply Water Butts - Saving Water in the House and in the Garden

Saving Water in the Garden and in the Home

Saving water in the garden

In hot and dry weather, water used outdoors can amount to 50 per cent of total usage. In the UK it's possible, however, to have a beautiful and productive garden using very little mains water. Find out more about what you can do...

Everyday watering tips

Things you can do include:

use a watering can instead of a hose
if you do use a hose, use a trigger to control the flow
avoid using watering-can roses, except on young seedlings, as much of the water does not reach the roots where it’s needed
watering early in the morning or late at night means water does not evaporate in the heat of the day before it can reach the roots
leave plants and shrubs dry until they show signs of wilting - watering too often can keep roots shallow and weaken plants
weeding regularly makes sure that watering helps plants and not weeds
prioritise young plants and seedlings; more established plants will survive longer periods without water

Saving water while keeping your lawn healthy

Lawns are usually the thirstiest part of a garden, but there are easy steps you can take to reduce the amount of water your lawn needs:

letting the grass grow longer in dry spells helps keep moisture in the soil
if you use a sprinkler, your water company may require you to have a meter fitted as they can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day
infrequent soaks will be more effective than frequent sprinkling as they will encourage roots to search for water deeper in the ground
remember that even if your lawn goes brown in the dry weather it doesn’t mean it has died - it will usually recover when the rain returns
if you’re looking to redo your lawn or re-seed part of it, choose grass varieties that are better suited to dry conditions like fescue grass or smooth-stalked meadow

Install a water butt

Thousands litres of rainwater fall on the average roof every year. If you collect this water and use it on your garden, it is better for your lawn and plants as well as the environment. Other points to consider:

fit a lid to stop leaves collecting or small animals falling in and drowning
if you want to collect more water than can be stored in one butt, it is possible to get a connector kit to link up two or more
water companies and councils often sell water butts at subsidised prices

Make use of greywater in the garden

Any water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets, is called greywater. Shower, sink and laundry water can be re-used in the garden during droughts:

greywater from baths and showers can be used to water non-edible plants
make sure it is cool before you use it
avoid pouring it straight on to foliage

Plan a water-efficient garden

Things to consider:

healthy composted soil will retain moisture and nutrients
choosing drought-tolerant plants means your garden needs less water
planting new shrubs and trees through plastic helps to retain moisture and control weeds
loose mulches (such as wood bark or coarse home compost) around established plants stop water evaporating

The wider issue

Increasing demand for water means it is important to find ways of conserving this valuable resource. Saving water in the garden can help lessen the risk of drought orders and water restrictions, help protect wildlife and reduce climate change impacts.

Source: http://www.direct.gov.uk © Crown copyright

Saving water in your home

There is a limited supply of water, and shortages are a problem in parts of the UK. By saving water, you can help protect wildlife like birds and fish that live in rivers and wetlands. You can also cut the energy needed for treating water, helping reduce climate change.

Installing a low-flush or dual-flush toilet

Over half of people in the UK say they are trying to cut down on their water usage

Toilet flushing accounts for about a third of household water usage. You probably flush away as much water in a day as you drink in a whole month. There are many things you can do to cut this down:

when buying a new toilet, get a water-saving, low-flush or dual flush toilet
install a water displacement device (sometimes called a 'hippo') in the cistern of a higher flush toilet - you will reduce the amount of water used for each flush, typically by one or two litres. Most water companies provide free displacement devices for their customers
fit a variable flushing device to existing higher flush toilets - this will give you a choice of flush volumes to help save water

Switch to showers

A quick shower can use much less water than a bath. But power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes. Think about:

fitting a water-efficient shower head to your existing shower. This can reduce the amount of water you use by a further 30 per cent without compromising shower performance (these should not be fitted to electric showers, as this can lead to overheating of the water)
avoiding high volume power showers - you can easily use more water than if you had a bath

Use water-efficient appliances

Half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load

The amount of water consumed by dishwashers and washing machines varies considerably.

All new dishwashers and washing machines have a European (EU) energy label which will tell you how much water they user per wash, as well as how energy efficient they are. Things you might like to consider are:

if you have a choice, look for a machine that uses less than 50 litres per wash
try looking for a dishwasher that uses less than 15 litres per wash
make sure your dishwasher or washing machine is fully loaded before you switch it on - half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load

Upgrade your plumbing

Things to think about are:

fixing drips - a dripping tap or overflow can waste a lot of water (just 2 drips a second adds up to about 26 litres of water a day), but a new washer costs just a few pence and can be fitted in minutes
fitting aerator or spray ends to washbasin taps can reduce water consumption by up to 50 per cent - an aerator mixes air with water
putting lagging on your outside pipes will help to avoid burst pipes and leaks in winter

Save water in the garden

There are many ways of saving water in the garden:

using a watering can rather than a hose will make a huge difference to the amount of water you use in your garden - a hose can use more water in an hour than a family of four uses in a day
consider buying a water butt to collect rain water for the garden - using rain water saves mains water and the energy used to treat it

Avoid pouring water straight down the drain

Ways to avoid this:

the cold water that comes through before a tap runs hot can be collected for watering plants
keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold
turning off the taps when you are brushing your teeth or shaving can save five litres a minute

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