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Councillors > Parkside >
Alan Winter > Save Water
Cllr. Alan Winter's pages
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http://www.votelibdem.com is edited and published by Alan D. Winter, of 100 Westminster Gardens, LU5 5RU, on behalf of Liberal Democrats in Houghton Regis and surrounding areas.
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How to Save Water And Save Money On Your Water Bill.
Alan Winter writes ... “These are a collection of ideas to help save water. A lot of them involve thinking about how much we waste water just by running taps until the water comes hot or cold enough for purpose. That's a huge waste. Collect that run-off and think where else you might use it.”
“The second major theme involves thinking about a secondary use for water that has already been used once and is no longer clean or fit to drink.”
- Install a low-flow showerhead.
- Lather up before you turn the shower on.
- Collect cold shower water in a bucket and use it for toilet flushing.
- Never take baths or power showers. Always take a short shower. Saves about 7p a time in water.
- Limit your shower to 5 minutes.
- Stand in a washing up bowl while showering - (not so daft an idea... possible for small children). Re-use the water on the garden.
- Use baby wipes instead of showers. Saves about 2p a time in water.
- If you must bath, share it!
- Plug the bathtub (or sink) before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub (or sink) fills up.
- Don't run a tap while scrubbing your hair.
- Use taps that sprinkle, rather than pour.
- Teach children to turn taps off properly.
- Don't leave the tap running when cleaning your teeth, shaving, or while doing anything else.
- Replumb the waste water to allow it to sprinkle over the garden.
- Only use your washing machine and dishwasher when they're full.
- Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the tap for cold drinks.
- Save the washing-up until there's lots to do.
- When running the hot tap until the water comes hot, remember to collect the colder water in a
jug.
- Use a dishwasher rather than hand-wash.
- Only use the dishwasher when its full.
- Use used washing-up water against the green-fly.
- Don't use running water to rinse out a cloth - use a bowl of water instead.
- Don't use running water to thaw food.
- Roast vegetables rather than boil them.
- Rinse veg in a bowl, not under the tap. Then use the rinse to water house plants.
- Cook veg in the microwave.
- Don't throw out egg boiling water - re-use somewhere else.
- Use drought-tolerant plants (read Xeriscape article).
- It's only time to water the lawn when your feet leave footprints on it.
- Use a water butt to collect rain water from the gutters to use on the plants, or for rinsing off the car.
- Put out large plant pots to collect rain water.
- Mulch garden plants to save the need to water them.
- For hanging baskets, planters and pots, an ice cube under the moss or dirt will give plants a cool drink of water and help eliminate water overflow.
- Water during the early morning, when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.
- A watering-can is just as good as a banned hosepipe.
- Don't turf hard to water areas like steep banking.
- Limit grass cutting - longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.
- Water shrubs at the roots - but don't overdo it.
- Cover ponds and check for leaks at the pump mechanism.
- If you must use a sprinkler, make sure its not being wasted on the road / driveway / path.
- Sweep the driveway / pathway, rather than hosing it down.
- - Ornamentals -Trickling or cascading fountains lose less water to evaporation, than those that spray up in the air.
- Allow dead leaves to accumulate on top of the soil to keep the soil cooler and so reduce evaporation.
- Water butts collect rain water - use it to rinse off your car.
- A watering-can is just as good as a banned hosepipe.
- Turn off your water and examine the water meter. If it's still moving, check for leaks.
- Fish tank water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, so when it's changed, use it on the plants for a free and effective fertilizer.
- Bathe your pets outdoors in an area in need of water.
- Know where the stop-cock is... the saving will be the speed you can turn off the flow if you ever have a burst pipe.
- Avoid water-soaking toys.
- If the children want to cool down, use a sprinkler in an area in need of water.
- Don't leave ice cubes from a pub or restaurant in the glass - put it on a plant.
- Seen a leak in a public place? - Report it! Don't leave it to someone else.
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