Tips for saving water during the heatwave

The recent heatwave we have been experiencing may have seen Brits across the UK enjoying beach days and making the most of the warmer weather – however, the impact on the environment has been significant, specifically in terms of water levels.

So much so that United Utilities (UU) will be enforcing a temporary hosepipe ban across the North West of England. Coming into force from 5^th August, United Utilities have said:

“Despite some recent rainfall, reservoir levels are still lower than we would expect at this time of year and, with forecasters predicting a return to hot dry weather for the rest of July, we will need to impose some temporary restrictions on customers.

“Unless we get a period of sustained rainfall before 5 August these restrictions will help us safeguard essential water supplies for longer.”

The ban could reduce water usage by 5-10%, which is the equivalent of more than 100 million litres per day.

However, for now the hosepipe ban is only in place within North West England. This is because, unlike other areas of the UK, the North West heavily relies on local reservoirs and rivers for their water supply.

As there has been little rain in recent weeks these levels are not sufficient to continue water supply without the proposed ban.

How else can you save water?

Even for those that aren’t located within the North West, due to the ongoing weather forecast it is important to consider how we can all reduce our water usage during this time.

Some simple tips include:

• Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth
• Having shorter showers instead of taking a bath
• Use full loads for dishwashers and washing machines
• Fix any leaks for dripping taps as those small drops can add up!
• Invest in making your house water-saving by installing water-efficient appliances, showerheads, taps and toilets
• Fill up a jug with water and put this in the fridge instead of running the tap until it the water goes cold
• Reduce your food waste, 70% of water is used to produce the food we eat, so the less food we waste the more water we are saving!

Always be mindful of saving water – even during winter

It can be easy to take our access to clean water for granted, however it is important to always consider saving water and how to decrease our impact on the environment.

By saving water we are also having a direct impact on our energy usage and saving ourselves money if you are on a water meter!

We would advise to follow our water saving tips all year round, whatever the weather.