Many people wander why reducing our water usage is such an important issue. Particularly as England is notorious for it’s rainy climate. However, most people will be surprised to learn that some parts of the UK are experiencing water shortages. The key part to remember is that people should not start restricting their enjoyment of water. Due to the fact that we use domestic appliances on a regular basis, we do not realise how much water we end up wasting in the process. However, there are steps that can be taken to not waste water.

The average person in the UK uses around 150 litres of water everyday. The majority of this is used up in domestic chores around the house such as washing, cooking, drinking and watering the garden. We are using 50% more water than 25 years ago due to the technological advancements in domestic appliances around the house. We should think about our future and what steps can be taken to reduce water usage for long term benefits.

Steps you can take to save water on a regular basis

Brushing your teeth – Many people leave the tap running while they are brushing their teeth. If you are one of those people you are wasting 6 litres of water per minute. You will save a lot of water if you turn the tap off whilst brushing and rinse at the end with a mug of water

Flush the toilet for items that can be disposed off elsewhere – Flushing the toilet uses up a large amount of water accounting for about a third of household water usage. Sometimes it is more convenient to flush down items such as cotton wool or face wipes, however this is wasting a huge amount of water for items that can be disposed off in a rubbish bin. Some reports have indicated that if we stopped flushing down items that can be easily thrown away in a rubbish bin, we would save about 27 millions litres of water a week

Have a shower instead of a bath – You will save more water if you shower instead of having a bath. This is due to the fact that a bath uses around 80 litres of water in comparison to showers which use around 30 litres of water. However, you should note that power showers use up much more water

You can save water in the garden – Using a watering can rather than a hose will be very useful in saving water. Another useful point to note is that rain water is better for plants than tap water. It would be advisable for you to buy a water butt to collect the rain water for the garden

Buying water-efficient appliances – Most of the domestic appliances nowadays have taken into account the importance of energy saving. Therefore if you are about to invest in a new appliance for the home, such as a dishwasher or a washing machine, you should look for one with a energy label. It would be advisable for you to look for a washing machine that uses less than 50 litres per wash. Also, doing a full-load rather than a half-load when using the washing machine or dishwasher will save on energy