How Can We Save Water in a Heatwave?

With the UK enjoying one of its hottest ever summers on record, hosepipe bans are being imposed up and down the length and breadth of the country. The most recent heatwave to have struck the nation seems like it has been going on forever, which means that water in British households is currently at a premium.

However, even if a hosepipe ban is in place in your area, that doesn’t mean you need to neglect your garden and let the heat have its way with the fruits (and vegetables) of your horticultural labour. When it comes to water conservation, every centimetre counts - so here are a handful of easy ways in which you can save some H2O around the home.

• Put away the hose. Of course, this is obligatory in the event of a ban, but ditching the hose in favour of a watering can is a good practice for you to get into at all times, since it will waste far less of this precious resource than spraying from the hose.
• Repurpose grey water. The best option for watering plants is to repurpose water that has already been used for another purpose. The washing up basin is perfect for this, as any leftover food particles in the liquid can actually act as a compost.
• Buy a butt. While a water butt might not be much use during the height of the current heatwave, it can certainly help with future ones. It would be foolish to believe that the UK climate won’t return to its wet and windy self sometime in the near future, at which point your newly-acquired butt will come into its own and reduce consumption next time around.
• Let it mellow. Flushing unnecessarily can waste up to 15 litres each time, so only flush when really necessarily. Avoid flushing tissues down the loo altogether, and never flush wet wipes – even the most sophisticated water monitoring systems can’t handle them.
• Shower power. A shower is far more environmentally-friendly than a bath and aiming for a four-minute-maximum to your song in the suds will ensure you save a significant amount of H20 compared to a soak in the tub.
• Conserve when consuming. Do not overfill the kettle if only making a single cup of tea or coffee, and consider chilling a jug of water in the fridge rather than wasting copious amounts of the stuff by letting the tap run every time you want to quench your thirst.
• Fill the dishwasher completely. Good news for those who hate the washing up – a full dishwasher actually uses less water than scrubbing those pots and pans by hand. Just make sure you pack in as many dishes as possible and of course, don’t forget to choose the eco-friendly setting.