Water Saving Tips


<p>What you can do</p>
<p>In the home</p>
<ul><li>Half-load programmes on dishwashers and washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load. Therefore, wait until you have a full load before switching the machine on</li>
<li>Try not to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, shave or wash your hands, as this can waste up to five litres of water per minute</li>
<li>A five-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes</li>
<li>Old toilet cisterns can use as much as nine litres of clean water every flush. Reduce this by placing a &#8216;save-a-flush&#8217; or &#8216;hippo&#8217; in the cistern. You can order 'Save-a-flush' bags from Severn Trent Water at <a href="http://www.stwater.co.uk/server.php?show=nav.5795" > www.stwater.co.uk</a> or <b>tel:</b> 0870 783 4444</li>
<li>Dripping taps can waste up to four litres of water a day. Replace worn tap washers for a quick and cheap way of saving water.</li></ul>
<p>In the garden</p>
<ul><li>Watering in the cool of the early morning or evening helps to reduce evaporation losses<img src="waterbutts.jpg" width="100" height="121" alt="Photo of children collecting water from a water butt." border="1", align="right" /> </li>
<li>Treat your plants and collect rainwater in a water butt to use on your garden, it conserves valuable water resources and is better for your plants</li>
<li>Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, pinks, lavender, buddleia and hebes</li>
<li>Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving you both water and time spent weeding</li>
<li>Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short. Even if the grass turns brown, it will quickly recover after a few days of rain</li>
<li>Garden sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day. If you use a sprinkler, many water companies require you to have a water meter fitted.</li></ul>






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