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How to help save water and prevent a shortage as Britains heatwave continues

June 29, 2018

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How to help save water and prevent a shortage as Britain's heatwave continues — Just when we need water the most, hot weather has dried out the UK (Picture: Getty)

Brits love a good heatwave, and they dont come much more pleasant than the 32C+ one thats happening right now.

However, this sun-soaked jollity does also mean that there is less water to be sloshed around willy nilly.

The situation is pretty serious as water and energy companies are asking customers not to use hoses or sprinklers, and not to have a bath.

So how do you save water around the home on a daily basis?

Humans use 150 litres (264 pints) of water a day on average.

Hot weather makes us feel more thirsty, and we need water to cool off more regularly.

But chucking water around is really not a good idea, and not just because the rest of the country needs it.

Saving on water can save you money, and also save the planet lots and LOTS of vital energy, which its getting through at a worryingly rapid rate.

How to save water at home

Use a watering can to water your garden rather than a hose, and you can even use bath water after a bath
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth (you could save 6 litres per minute)
Always wash a full load in the washing machine to ensure no water is wasted
Take a shorter shower or replace the head with an aerated one to reduce water flow
Fix that pesky dripping tap
Fill a jug with water and keep it in the fridge, so you always have cold water and dont need to run the tap waiting for it to cool
Invest in water-efficient household items, from taps to dual-flush toilets, and dishwashers
Get a Cistern Displacement Device (CDD) for your toilet with conserves water, and is usually free from water companies
Only fill your kettle with the amount of water you need, rather than filling it to the top each time

Check out more tips via these two Waterwise infographics here and here.

Some water companies have bottled water as an emergency supply to areas like Staffordshire and Shropshire, where water is in particularly short supply.

Home Counties supplier Affinity Water made the situation crystal clear with their recent statement.

They said: We usually supply, on average, 900 million litres of water each day to 3.6 million people and we have had to significantly increase this to meet demand due to the hot weather.

This demand is averaging at 1.2 billion litres of water per day, but at times this has peaked to 1.6 billion litres of water in a single day.

We are asking all customers to use water wisely, to reduce the demand on our network.

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