Saving Water - England in Drought

It seems incredulous, writing this post on a rainy Manchester day, that much of the UK is in drought. But unusually low rainfall levels have left our rivers dry, affecting much of England and Wales. As an Aussie it's something I am used to, and I already do a lot to keep our water consumption low. Hot water cylinder company Megaflo has put together some great information on how to save water.

In the bathroom: When brushing your teeth half fill a beaker with water. Dip your toothbrush in this, and use the same beaker to rinse. Don't keep the tap running whilst you brush your teeth.

Time your showers. Set a timer and when the time is up turn the water off! If you have long hair switch the shower off whilst you wash, or if your leaving the conditioner in.

Use a bath appropriate to the size of the human. Use a baby bath. I have a Flexi bath that I used until recently for Joseph.

There's a funny saying in country Australia "if its yellow let it mellow if its brown flush it down" Don't flush the loo after every wee, its a waste of water.

In the kitchen: Have one glass or a bottle for your day's water and don't wash it after every use. Fill a water bottle and keep it in the fridge, don't run the tap to cool the water down. When filling the kettle use a measure, and only boil the water you need for your brew. This is a real energy saver too, its amazing how much more energy it takes to boil a full kettle. On a similar note when cooking rice or pasta only use as much water as you need. Rice cookers and cooking with the absorption method take much less water.

When rinsing fruit and vegetables, or peeling potatoes, fill a bowl with a little water rather than running a tap.

When washing dishes wash them all together, don't do bits of washing up during the day. Don't leave the tap running to rinse dishes. Know how much water your appliances uses, often dishwashers use less than washing by hand.

In the garden: If you've used a washing up bowl use this water to water your plants. Likewise if you can with your washing machine, save the water at the end for the same purpose.

Container gardening is much more water savvy than having plants in the ground, so consider this when planning your gardening. Choose plants that are naturally water savvy. Also terracotta pots, being porous, are less efficient with water, so use crystals in your potting mix, or use a plastic pot and put it inside your pretty pot.

Use plenty of compost and mulch this will make your watering much more effective.

Around the house: Do a good survey of your pipes and make sure there are no leaks. Make saving water a game and get the whole family on board. Kids love nothing more than policing shower usage and issuing reminders to mum and dad if showers go on too long!

Be mindful when washing clothes, fill your machine. I blogged yesterday about the ecoegg, and this can help save water as you can cut your rinsing cycle down.

When washing the car use a bucket, not a hose.

There are lots of ways to save water, and soon they become a habit.

Megaflo is showing its support to helping save water by co-funding a Pump Aid project to develop water wells and flushing toilets for 21 schools in Malawi.  Pump Aid is a charity dedicated to providing clean water and good sanitation to underprivileged areas in Africa.

I was asked to spread the word about Megaflo but have not asked or received any compensation for this post.

Don't forget I have giveaways on Monday's Real Nappy post and Tuesday's Ecoegg post.