Saving for a Sunny Day – Home and Garden Water Efficiency is Key

28 March 2025 13:56

As the clocks go forward this Sunday and Daylight Saving Time begins, NI Water is highlighting that now is the time to think about how we use our water during the warmer months.  This will help conserve water for when we really need it and help to reduce household energy bills.

NI Water says that water efficiency in the home and garden is a key part of the solution to protecting future water supplies that may come under pressure because of our changing climate and population growth.

Customers can use the NI Water, www.getwaterfit.com online water audit to discover how much water they use in their homes and learn new ways to make savings.

NI Water education officer Anna Killen explained: “We are lucky to live in what is considered a water rich country but because of our changing climate and growing population, this may not always be the case.

“We are familiar with the phrase about saving for a ‘rainy day’ but we all need to think about saving water for a ‘sunny day’ and start to form habits that will help us save water all year round.”

Top water saving tips:

1.    Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth - A running tap can use 6 litres of water per minute. Over a month this wastes enough water to provide over 65 people with water for hand washing for a full day.

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.  

6.    Use a watering can instead of a hose - A hose uses over 500 litres of water an hour enough to fill 12 baths.

7.    ‘Get Water Fit’ - To help keep the water flowing for everyone and ‘Get Water Fit’, complete NI Water’s 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.

NI Water is also 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

Notes to editors

• In October 2024 findings from a report called the 2023/34 Continuous Household Survey were published showing findings in relation to water usage in Northern Ireland. It was published and produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), and presents findings from the 2023/24 Continuous Household Survey (CHS).

• The publication is available on the new Water Usage Research webpage 
• The CHS showed 55% of people in Northern Ireland shower six to 10 times per week and 48% of people shower for between two and five minutes each time they use the shower. 58% of people own a dishwasher and 16% use it every day. The report also shows 99% of people own a washing machine, with 22% saying they use it every day. And 67% of respondents say they use a hosepipe or bucket to water plants, while 52% use them to wash their cars.

Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com