Below are some handy tips on how you can use water wisely. You may not find all of these water-saving tips valuable, but some will be worthwhile. You may already be doing many of these things as part of your daily routine.

You can also find out more on how to use water wisely by visiting the Waterwise website.

In the bathroom, in the kitchen, in the garden and in general... There are lots of ways to make wise water choices. See below for some water saving ideas or download this handy leaflet.

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  • DO take short showers rather than a bath; this saves around 68 litres per shower 
  • DO place a full bottle or 'save a flush' device into your toilet tank if it doesn't have a modern, dual-flush cistern, to reduce flow
  • DO check which is the 'short flush' if you have a dual-flush cistern. Using the short flush saves most water
  • DON’T flush unnecessarily; using the toilet as a bin can waste up to 54 litres of water a day
  • DON’T let water run whilst brushing your teeth. This can waste 9 litres a minute

  • DO use a dishwasher if you have one but make sure you only run it when full and use the eco wash cycle if available; this actually uses less water than hand washing for the same amount of dishes if you run the tap continuously, but do not pre-wash
  • DO make sure you only run your washing machine when full and better yet; use the eco wash cycle if available
  • DO use only enough water to cover food when cooking and use a bowl when washing and preparing fruit or vegetables which can save up to 23 litres a day 
  • DON’T run water to make it cold for drinking; fill a bottle and refrigerate for cool drinking water throughout the day
  • DON’T use kitchen waste disposal units as they involve running significant amounts of water

  • A lawn can go up to 6 weeks, sometimes longer depending on the type, without watering and will enter a dormant stage to conserve water and survive the dry period 
  • Use a water butt or containers to collect rainwater for use in the garden 
  • Use a watering can instead of a hosepipe.  Hosepipes use around 1,000 litres of water per hour!
  • You could consider installing a grey water system. Grey water is the relatively clean water from sinks, baths, washing machines and other kitchen appliances and even water from dehumidifiers. Essentially it is anything but waste water from toilets. Although it may look ‘dirty’ it is a safe and even beneficial source of irrigation water for your garden or (non-food) plants 

  • DO repair leaky taps inside and outside of the home; a dripping tap can waste up to 4000 litres a year so well worth repairing 
  • DON’T wash cars or windows if you can avoid it; be proud to have a dirty car! But if you have to, use a bucket rather than a hose.  On average it takes 3 buckets holding about 10 litres to wash a car, saving approximately 220 litres of water