Wat-er you doing about Water Saving Week?
22 May 2022 15:58
It’s Water Saving Week and with rising energy costs there is no better time to dust off old habits and create some new ones that are good for your pocket and the environment.
It is easy to begin reducing your water usage; just start by thinking how much water you are using each day. Whether you are washing your hands, cleaning endless amounts of dishes or getting through that mountain of washing, you start to realise just how important water is and the sheer amount we use.
NI Water’s Environmental Outreach & Learning Officer, Anna Killen, explains how we can save water by looking at everyday habits, “It’s amazing to think that every day each person uses around 170 litres of water! It’s really easy to save water and there are simple things we can all do that can make a huge difference.
“Did you know that the average time people in Northern Ireland spend in the shower is 9 minutes; over 50% of people still overfill the kettle and less than a quarter of people have a waterbutt.
“With rising energy costs, it might be time to think about reducing the time spent in the shower; hot water costs money! Why not try the 4 minute shower challenge, put on your favourite 4 minute song and see if you can finish before the end.
“Start by looking at small changes, for example, your kettle. Since working from home, it has been working overtime; but just fill it with as much water as you need. Overfilling can use twice as much energy each time you boil.”
To help you kick start these new habits and ‘Get Water Fit’, complete our online water audit at https://www.getwaterfit.co.uk or take part in water saving challenges and receive your free water saving items including a 4 minute shower timer, toothy timers and swell gel bags for the garden.
Some water saving tips:
1 Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth - A running tap can use 6 litres of water per minute.
2 Use a bowl for washing vegetables - Then you can reuse this water for plants.
3 Make full use of your washing machine - Half load programmes on washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load, so wait until the machine is full before switching it on.
4 Fix leaking taps - A dripping tap can waste more than 60 litres of water per week.
5 Keep a jug of water in the fridge, instead of letting the tap run cold.
NI Water are encouraging customers to sign up to its free text alert service which keeps them updated about anything that may impact on their water supply or any of our other services in the area. Sign up here https://www.niwater.com/register-for-keeping-you-informed/
ENDS
For more information please contact press.office@niwater.com
Photo Caption: Pupils from Acorn Integrated PS, Carrickfergus recently met NI Water’s education team, who gave them lots of tips on how to save water.