Save water - Communities Living Sustainably in Dorset
Contents
1. Read your own water meter aE ularly Just being more aware of how much water you use will have a positive impact on your household s water wastage It shows you the actual results and savings from all your efforts with the other actions in this section This is generally a little more hassle than reading your electricity or gas meter as water meters tend to be located in the pavement outside your property They are usually in a special meter box under a metal cover that you need a screwdriver to lever up Or your meter may be inside your property close to where the water service pipe enters it See page 3 7 for advice on reading your meter To check for leaks read your meter just before you go away for a few days then read it again as soon as you get back Assuming nothing in the house should have been using water you can quickly tell if there s a leak somewhere as the meter reading will have gone up in your absence Yes but have no idea where my meter is If you can t find your meter then call Wessex Water on 0845 600 3 600 and they will be able to tell you where it is Transition Together 3 5 KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE USING Date Water Meter Reading Usage 01 12 2010 3785 n a 08 12 2010 3792 7 15 12 2010 4000 8 22 12 2010 4007 7 Notes e Complete the usage calculator on page 3 24 to estimate your annual consumption Compare it to the average of 150 litres per person per day e WW suggests that you check your meter at lea2. Transition Together 3 2 SPEND LESS ON WATER Each person in the UK currently uses about 150 litres of water every day and this average has been rising consistently since the 1930s This consumption level is not sustainable in the long term If we do not take action now climate change population shifts and wasteful behaviour mean the UK will face increased water stress in the future Although it seems to rain a lot here in fact the UK has less available water per person than most other European countries London is drier than Istanbul and the South East of England has less water available per person than the Sudan and Syria Most parts of the UK have experienced drought in the past decade About a third of the water we use on a daily basis is wasted this is what we want to cut down The key to water efficiency is reducing waste not necessarily restricting your use You can easily reduce waste by making small behavioural changes and by choosing more water efficient products Saving water will not only help save the environment and limit climate change but if you are on a water meter it will save you money on your water bill and using less hot water will save you money on your energy bill too see page 3 6 to see if you d be better off on a meter Water Use in the Home Typical average household ouor ff water use Toilet Flushing 30 e Each of these actions can significantly reduce the amount of water that your hou
3. Transition Together 3 26 OTHER WATER SAVING OPTIONS Rainwater harvesting If it is correctly collected and stored rainwater can be used for toilets washing machines and watering gardens without further treatment In practice most domestic roof areas are too small to satisfy all this potential demand regardless of the size of the storage cistern so it is important to evaluate the potential savings before investing in an expensive installation Solutions range from sophisticated systems with large underground tanks with pumps storing thousands of litres to smaller scale DIY systems that simply gravity feed rainwater from large wall mounted butts through the outside wall to a toilet cistern The garden water butt is the simplest way of collecting rainwater It does not need any treatment or mains backup and it does not have to supply water when temperatures are below freezing Raising the height of the water butt increases the available water pressure but make sure this is done safely Greywater re use systems Greywater refers to all household waste water other than waste water from the toilet blackwater Greywater from baths showers and washbasins is less contaminated than that from the kitchen Typically domestic reuse systems collect greywater and store it before reusing it to flush the toilet More advanced systems treat greywater to a standard that it is claimed can be used in washing machines and the garden The most basic s
4. this does depend on the number of people in the house and the way they use water e Note that you are charged for every cubic metre 1 000 litres or 220 gallons that you use plus you are also charged for sewerage the removal and cleaning of waste water So how can you tell if you d be better off on a water meter As a rough rule of thumb if there are more bedrooms in your house than people you should ST consider getting a meter For a quick online calculation try www uswitch com water You can also call or check the website of your water company for their calculator You have up to 12 months to request a switch back to the rated system 1PULSE LITRE 000 gg Transition Together 3 7 ADVICE ON READING YOUR METER Courtesy of South West Water SWW e Once you have lifted the cover on the meter box you may see a polystyrene plug which protects your meter against frost Please remove it to read your meter but remember to replace it afterwards e There are two sets of numbers black numbers on the left and red numbers on the right The black numbers record the amount of water which has been used in cubic metres The red numbers represent fractions of a cubic metre e Only the black numbers are used for billing purposes Therefore if you are reading the meter to correct what you believe is an inaccurate estimate you only have to report the figure recorded by the black numbers For example the reading on the
5. 3 18 THE KITCHEN SINK Savings low The kitchen tap and dishwasher account for about 8 14 of water used in the home so there s a huge opportunity here to reduce water wastage Kitchen taps vary tremendously in flow volume from 2 to 25 litres per minute and behaviour such as how much you twist the tap and for how long you leave it on influence how much water is used when you wash up tS i F lt A DW a kos hy F 7 n re a x tw gt s LE EET E ys fe Vier oie sg LT REF lol sal For example washing up or rinsing dishes under a running tap can use dozens of litres of water but if you use a washing up bowl or plug your sink you can reduce water wastage by 50 or more A common misconception is that dishwashers use more water In fact these machines can be water savers if used wisely In the 1970s dishwashers used as much as 50 litres per cycle but modern models can use as little as 10 litres sometimes even less than washing up by hand Yes but sometimes have to wait for ages for hot water to arrive at the tap which wastes lots of cold water down the sink Firstly lag the pipes Also collect all the waste cold water in a watering can that you leave by the sink then use it on the garden or your houseplants or to cool down the over hot water Transition Together 3 19 THE KITCHEN SINK Next steps hints amp tips e Consider installing a more water efficient tap or a
6. meter in the picture below would be 345 cubic metres e Please telephone your supplier s helpline if you have any difficulties in reading the figures on your meter e Note If you live in an older property you may have a different type of meter fitted Transition Together ee practical 3 8 FEELING FLUSHED action Pla About a quarter of all the clean drinkable expensive water we use in our homes is flushed down a toilet An old style single flush toilet can use up to 13 litres of water in one flush New more water efficient dual flush toilets use only 6 litres for a full flush and 4 litres with a reduced flush If your toilet is pre 2001 see guide over page consider installing a cistern displacement device CDD such as a Save a flush bag or a Hippo Hog These are available for free from most water companies They are simply put in the toilet cistern where they displace about 1 litre of water every time you flush Note that save a flush bags are only suitable for 9 litre toilets and above Performance can vary between toilet types A video showing how to fit a save a flush bag can be seen at www wessexwatershop co uk videos Yes but our loo doesn t flush well anyway won t this make it even worse Don t use a CDD on cisterns of 6 litres or less Try a smaller device if you need to flush twice Remove it altogether if even the smallest one causes a problem the idea is to reduce flushing not incr
7. your garden WaterGreen is one such siphon pump costs about 20 Transition Together 3 16 WASHING CLOTHES action Plat med The average water consumption of washing machines is about 50 litres per wash although now less than it used to be it s still quite a bit of water Clothes washing accounts for about 13 of the water that we use in our homes so by reducing wastage in this area we can make significant water savings the average family does 274 loads a year The practical Washing machines vary tremendously in how much water they use per wash when adjusted for capacity some use as much as 20 litres per kilogram while others as little as 6 litres When using your washing machine make sure you know about the different cycles many have a half load or eco load option Take a look at the manual which should tell you how much water and energy the different options use If you plan to buy a new one make sure that it s water efficient Washing at a lower temperature doesn t save water but it will save on your water heating costs Many powders and liquids are designed to work at lower temperatures of 30 40 degrees and they work well Yes but have to keep up with the washing or else it becomes a mountain in this house Consider how often you really need to wash your clothes After every wear We often wash things that don t need it out of habit if it doesn t look dirty or smell it may last anothe
8. 5 The UK has already witnessed some of its worst droughts ever Though we might envision our nation as lush and rainy we are not immune to water scarcity problems We too can run out of water Questions for discussion eBesides water efficiency what else can we do to reduce our overall water consumption DO you feel you have enough information to make informed choices about the water impacts of what you buy Should the government insist all households are metered to help ensure we take water efficiency more seriously Ww SA N a D gt ang Y Bi ie gt Pp ae a s a a2 r S ER N a r gt ae a rt a a Sara A A E ala A Transition Together 3 24 WATER USAGE CALCULATOR N HOW much water can expect to use A continued To get a more accurate picture to complete the questionnaire set about your household s likely out below annual water use you might like Water Activity Litres Frequency titres J Bath 114 x no perweek shower ordina ase no nerweek _ shower powe 90 x no perweek Toilet flushes 9 x mm no per day x 7 Automatic washing machine 114 x no of uses per week Dishwasher 40 x no of uses per week Cooking drinking handbasin use washing dishes and clothes by hand 25 x no of people in house x 7 Weekly use el x 52 Annual use Plus Hosepipe sprinkler 23 x no of minutes used a week number o
9. ease it Transition Together 3 9 FEELING FLUSHED Save 20 per year ad per toilet on your Considering the average household flushes 4 000 times water bill Costs per year savings of up to 5 000 are nothing or a litres per year could be achieved few pounds just by simply installing a cistern displacement device This could save you about 20 per toilet if you are on a meter e Use the table on the next two pages to identify what type of toilet you have and what type of cistern displacement device or CDD if any you should be using Notes e Measure the capacity of your cistern with a jug if you re not sure e Get your free CDD from Wessex Water WW Call 0845 600 3 600 or order one online via info wessexwater co uk e Make your own from a large plastic bottle filled with water or sand and well sealed e Flush less often if it s yellow let it mellow if it s brown flush it down This can drastically reduce usage e Check the water level in your cistern Stays below the overflow or else water is constantly wasted Transition Together 3 10 FEELING FLUSHED Flush Water consumpti on Full 6 litres Half 4 litres Post1 Modern continental style Not required Jan 2001 push button cistern Single 7 5 litres Save A Flush bag Close coupled WC Pre 1 lan 2001 1980 Close coupled double 9 litres Hippo or s 1970 trap syphonic pan 1970 Close coupl
10. ed Single 9 litres Hippo or 1950 Save A Flush bag or Freddie Frog Save A Flush bag or Freddie Frog Transition Together 3 11 FEELING FLUSHED Flush Water consumpti on 10 litres Hippo or Save A Flush bag or Freddie Frog Hippo or Save A Flush bag or Freddie Frog Pre 1940 12 litres Pre 1940 12 litres Hippo or Save A Flush bag or Freddie Frog source Waterwise pictures courtesy of www twyfordsbathrooms com Transition Together 3 12 TAPS DRIPS amp LEAKS Often our water bill is higher than it needs to be and we re not even using the water we re paying for For example a running tap wastes over 6 litres per minute Dripping taps are not just annoying they add up to staggering water losses aS you Can see in this table based on average costs Dripping taps often just need a new washer which costs only pence Leaky pipes are also just dripping away your money inside or out 1 drop per second 5 000 20 Drops breaking to a stream 31 000 123 2mm stream 146 000 580 5mm stream 526 000 2 088 If you don t believe these figures then place a measuring jug below your dripping tap and time how long it takes to fill Check regularly for drips and leaks To fix a dripping tap first of all try changing the washer Also make sure your water pipes and external taps are lagged in time for the cold winter months Burst water pipes can cause serious damage as w
11. ell as waste a lot of water Yes but changed the washer and it s still dripping A dripping tap usually means that the tap washer needs renewing but it can also be caused by a damaged valve seating If the drip is from a mixer nozzle then change both tap washers Transition Together 3 13 TAPS DRIPS amp LEAKS You can save about 40 if you stop Fix a dripping tap and leaving the tap running while you save 22 per year brush your teeth assuming you do Turn tap off when this for two minutes twice a day brushing save 40 or wash the veg or rinse the er year dishes ei Notes e See www diydoctor org uk for an online how to guide for fixing drips e Search for a www youtube com video called Collins DIY Survival Demos How to Fix a Dripping Tap e Your local hardware store may offer written guides or will give you specific advice e If you re not into DIY contact a local plumber or handyman to do it for you e Check your pipes regularly for visible leaks Transition Together 3 14 SHOWERS amp BATHS Baths typically use 80 100 litres of water whereas an ordinary shower uses about a third of that amount Over a year if you have four baths a week this equates to an extra 60 worth of water plus all the costs of heating the extra water Using showers most of the time with the occasional bath after a hard day of digging for example will give significant savings The ave
12. f weeks used Total annual use Note The Story of Stuff team have produced a 7 minute animated film about bottled water You can view it at http www storyofstuff org movies all story of bottled water http Transition Together a practical 3 25 OTHER WATER SAVING OPTIONS action Plat Purchasing a water efficient toilet Many toilets today feature a dual flush option to help you save water These types of toilets have a split flush button giving the user the choice of pressing a small button or a large button depending on how much water is required to clear the toilet bowl Look for dual flush toilets if you are considering purchasing a new toilet for your home and ask how much water they use Detecting leaks and repairing your toilet An easy way to check if your toilet has a slow leak is to add a few drops of food colouring to your toilet cistern Don t flush the toilet for at least one hour If the food colouring shows up in the toilet bowl after an hour then you ve got a leak It is recommended that you get a licensed plumber to fix any leaks Plumbers know which seals and washers are right for different toilets However if you are a handy person take the parts of the toilet that need replacing to your local hardware store or plumbing retail outlet The staff there will help you choose the correct replacement parts Remember to repeat the food colouring test to make sure you have fixed the leak
13. ng quality tap water on our lawns and gardens However even this option can be denied us by law during times of drought Consider what you plant don t overwater look for more drought tolerant varieties Allow the plants to grow strong roots to seek water and mulch around them to retain moisture By carrying out water efficient gardening practices you can still have a beautiful living garden even in times of extreme drought Rain water is better than tap water for your plants Try to avoid having to use tap water to water the garden Instead collect rainwater in a water butt and or consider re using dirty water or greywater from anywhere but the toilets on the garden See page 3 26 for more info on greywater and on rainwater harvesting systems Wessex Water has produced useful tips on its website see www wessexwater co uk saviingwater Yes but can t use my old bath water for the garden due to all the bubble bath Soil and potting composts are generally ok at filtering out soap and detergents sometimes the residue even acts as a mild fertiliser The eco varieties are generally better than regular The Royal Horticultural Society does not recommend using greywater on edible crops Transition Together 3 21 OUTDOORS A hosepipe uses as much as 18 litres of water per minute A watering can instead if filled from your water butt saves 135 per year if you typically use the hose for 15 mins day for say four months of
14. r 24 per year e Buy a low flow shower head which can limit the water flow to as little as 7 litres a minute cost from about 15 Not suitable for electric showers or low pressure less than 0 5 bar gravity shower systems e Buy an aerated shower head from about 25 which adds air pressure to the flow Not suitable for some electric or low pressure gravity systems e You can buy tap aerators for regular taps too for about 5 reduces the flow not the performance e Get a shower timer to help limit your and your teenagers time Some can tell you how much water you are using and alerts you when you ve had the max recommended amount 35 litres e These products are generally available online through sites such as www biggreensmile com and www savewatersavemoney co uk e Wessex Water provides a free WaterSave pack for customers including a shower flow regulator shower timer and a save a flush bag see www wessexwatershop co uk freepack The Wessex Water Shop site also promotes low water using products such as showerheads www wessexwatershop co uk e Have a cooler shower which also helps you to avoid temporary varicose veins You ll tend to get out of there quicker too e Save the cold water that runs while waiting for the hot keep a bucket or watering can handy then water the plants or flush the loo once you ve finished e If you do have a bath you can siphon out your bath water and use it to water
15. r day Transition Together 3 17 WASHING CLOTHES e When replacing your old washing machine make sure to buy a water efficient model See rankings at www waterwise org uk for guidance and ask your local retailer for more info e More expensive models that use less water will generally still save you money in the long run e When using your washing machine make sure you use a full load every time Surveys have shown that a typical load of laundry is usually much less than the maximum capacity of the model e If you really need to do a wash but don t have a full load use the half load feature However some half loads will use almost as much water as a full load so two half loads will use more water and energy than one full load e If you re purchasing a new machine choose a model with a capacity that is appropriate for your situation If you live alone you re unlikely to need a model that can wash 10kg of clothing e Familiarise yourself with the cycle options of your washing machine Some settings provide the same cleaning power but with less water and energy Check your user manual or contact the manufacturer e Avoid pre washing Most modern washing machines and washing powders are so effective that you don t have to pre wash e Try using eco balls rather than liquid or solid detergents this works out at 3p per wash and they really do clean although some whites may need extra help Notes Transition Together
16. rage Brit spends 7 2 minutes in the shower and this average is increasing Power showers are very popular and can easily use more water than a bath While invigorating they pump as much as 16 litres of water a minute more than the average person living in the developing world gets through in a day In fact even a 5 minute power shower can use more water than a bath Changing the shower head will reduce both your water and energy bills Different showerheads are available which reduce the flow but keep a good pressure By replacing your showerhead with a more water efficient model it is possible to reduce your water consumption by more than half whilst still enjoying a great shower A shower timer shows how much time you have spent in the shower and can help you save water Or shower with the plug in to see how much you use Yes but really do need to shower every day Don t take fewer showers reduce the volume of water used and the time you spend in the shower You can still have a great shower experience save money on water and energy preserve a valuable resource and reduce your CO emissions Transition Together 3 15 SHOWERS amp BATHS Replacing a power shower with a low flow shower head could save around 35 litres every day or 53 per year off your water bill and 20 off your hot water bill If you have a power shower every minute you cut off your showering time can save as much as 16 litres of water anothe
17. sehold uses Even if you are not on a meter it is important to conserve this most precious resource and to consider the related CO emissions that come from the processing and pumping of all the water that we waste e Some of these actions will cost you little or nothing and some will cost you a little money but this should be offset by the reduction in your water bill e In your team have a brief chat about each item and then decide which ones you want to tackle and when Record your own action plan on the page at the end of this section e Know how much you are using 3 4 lt Feeling flushed 3 8 N e Taps drips and leaks 3 12 e Showers and baths 3 14 e Washing clothes 3 16 e The kitchen sink 3 18 e Outdoors 3 20 e The actions listed above are the basic but most cost effective things you can do in your home At the end of the section are several other actions that you may wish to consider once you ve done the basics Notes Transition Together 3 4 KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE USING As we saw in the energy section we can t manage something if we can t measure it Relying on twice yearly meter readings from Wessex Water does not give us much information about our water consumption or if it is going up or down as a result of the actions we are taking Once you know how to read your meter you can also do regular simple checks for leaks Find out if you should be on a meter on page 3 6 a
18. st monthly particularly if your meter is located outside your property You pay for leaking water e If youre making changes to reduce water use try reading your meter weekly for a while and see what difference it s making Use the sample water meter readings log provided above e Keep the log visible stick it on the fridge so everyone in the household can see it You may consider rewarding everyone for their efforts by sharing some of the savings e If there s more than one meter outside your house check the meter number against the number on one of your bills to make sure you re reading the right one More info see South West Water s guide to reading your water meter over the page See water saving tips on www wessexwater co uk saving water Transition Together 3 6 WATER METERS e Would it be cheaper for me to be on a water meter e In the South West nearly half of all the homes are metered versus 30 elsewhere in the UK That means half are still being charged water rates where price is fixed depending on a home s rateable value and the amount of water used is irrelevant to price e The average unmetered bill in England and Wales is 361 while the average metered bill is 305 This means that if your water usage is reasonable you could make a substantial saving by switching to a water meter Ofwat calculates that the typical customer who switches to a meter can save up to 5 10 of their bill However
19. tap aerator aerators in particular are cheap and simple quick fixes that you can do yourself e When washing up by hand either use a washing up bowl or plug your sink Then you can use left over water to water your houseplants e Try to avoid having to thaw frozen foods under running water e Keep a jug of water in the fridge so that you don t have to run the tap for ages while waiting for cold water to flow e Avoid installing a waste disposal unit in your sink they require lots of water to operate properly Compost your food waste see page 5 12 e When using your dishwasher make sure you use a full load every time Two half loads use more water and energy than one full load e Become familiar with the cycle options of your dishwasher for lower temperature duration cycles Check your user manual or contact the manufacturer e Most modern dishwashers are so effective that you don t ever have to pre rinse e Use the minimum amount of water required when you boil water in Saucepans and kettles you ll save energy as well as water More info see www waterwise org uk or give Waterwise a call on 0207 344 1882 and they will be happy to help with any questions Transition Together 3 20 OUTDOORS Savings med CO saved low Cost low med high med Outdoor water use accounts for around 7 of the total water use but in the summer this can rise to over 50 of demand Many of us still use very expensive drinki
20. the year e If you must use a hose consider fitting it with a trigger gun to control the flow although during a hosepipe ban you will need to use a watering can e Invest in a butt or several Your roof collects about 85 000 litres of rain per year This could fill 450 water butts with free water for your garden or car washing e Sprinklers can use as much as 1 000 litres of water per hour If you really must use it early in the morning or late in the evening e Rather than washing your car with a running hosepipe try using a bucket and sponge instead ideally fill the bucket from the butt e Mulching will not only keep away water loving weeds but will also keep the soil cool and decrease evaporation by up to 75 e Giving your plant roots a good soaking once or twice a week in dry weather is much better than lightly watering them every day e Think about mixing some drought resistant bedding and perennial plants to your garden to add diversity and increase resilience e Don t overwater there is no need for hanging baskets and containers to drip after watering Overwatering also weakens plants e Water should be directed underneath the foliage There should be enough to wet the top 30cm 12in of soil where most plant roots are e It s ok to let your lawn go brown it will recover immediately after rainfall Even the Queen had a brown lawn during the recent hosepipe ban e Use pressure washers sparingly if yo
21. u must use one to wash your patio furniture or bike do it on the lawn so the water gets reused Transition Together 3 22 YOUR WATER ACTION PLAN Possible actions i a Know how much you are e Washing clothes 3 16 using 3 4 e The kitchen sink 3 18 e Feeling flushed 3 8 e Outdoors 3 20 Taps drips amp leaks 3 12 e Showers amp baths 3 14 What other ideas does your team have that aren t covered above Add them below if you think they are relevant for you My actions Already Whenl ll Notes done do this How can you help each other out in your team List team actions here with named person and due date Group actions Transition Together 3 23 WATER THE BIGGER PICTURE DISCUSSION Each Briton uses about 150 litres of tap water a day but if you include the amount of water embedded within products our water consumption is actually around 3 400 litres every day About 70 of the embedded water that we consume comes from other nations as we import goods and services into our country About two thirds of the water that we consume is embedded in our food For example it takes about 13 litres of water to produce a tomato an apple has about 70 litres embedded in it a pint of beer about 170 litres a glass of milk about 200 litres and a hamburger about 2 400 litres If present levels of consumption continue two thirds of the global population will live in areas of water stress by 202
22. ystems simply divert cooled and untreated bath water to irrigate the garden Systems for flushing the toilet can save around a third of daily household water demand A trial by the Environment Agency showed a range of water savings from about 5 to 36 As newer properties tend to have more water efficient toilets the maximum savings in a new build might be closer to 20 For more information on both of these options see www environment agency gov uk homeandleisure drought Transition Together 3 27 LOCAL WATER COMPANIES Wessex Water 1 Clevedon Walk Nailsea Bristol BS48 1WW Telephone 0845 600 3 600 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday Minicom 0845 6 056 585 Text telephone for those with impaired hearing email customer services wessexwater co uk Please include your customer reference number and or billing address in all contact to us http www wessexwater co uk RE co k OLSflex YIL compy Notes
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