Water 'wise'dom

26/10/2005

Thousands of customers in Essex are being encouraged to ‘think before they use’ through a water efficiency initiative.

Essex & Suffolk Water has distributed water-wise packs to thousands of homes in the Thurrock area.

The five thousand packs, which have been distributed so far, contain water saving devices including a save-a-flush which saves one litre of water every time the toilet is flushed, a shower timer and shower flow bag, a dripping tap gauge, a hosegun for watering the garden and water storage crystals to help reduce the need to water hanging baskets and tubs.

All members of the McGoldrick family from Purfleet, Thurrock, have used the gadgets for six months and Mum Julie thinks the pack has changed their attitude towards using water:  “Water is something that we all take for granted, but depend so heavily upon.  There are four of us in our family and we use quite a lot of water – it is amazing how easily you can save a large amount of water by doing simple things like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth.  We should all take responsibility for looking after such a precious resource.”

Thomas Andrewartha, water demand planner for Essex & Suffolk Water, said:  “Demand for water is rising across the county due to growth of housing and higher use of domestic appliances.  It is important that we focus on promoting water efficiency all year round, not just in the hot summer months.  It is estimated that customers in Thurrock will have saved around 11 litres of water per property per day by following some easy guidelines – that’s 55,000 litres or the equivalent of 688 baths full!”

“This initiative has enabled us to raise awareness among some of our customers about how easy it is to use water wisely and for them to learn how to make their homes more water efficient.  All customers taking part have been asked to complete a survey to enable us to gain a greater understanding of where water is used within the home which is essential for future resource planning.“

East Anglia is one of the driest regions in the country and Essex & Suffolk Water is constantly working to ensure that there are plentiful supplies for the future.  As part of this, it is essential that customers use water wisely.  The current levels of the two reservoirs that supply more than one million customers in Essex are average for this time of year – Hanningfield Reservoir is 73% full and Abberton is 60% full.

Initiatives like this will also help meet objectives set by the recently formed national Water Saving Group, comprising of Defra, Ofwat, Environment Agency, WaterUK, Consumer Council for Water and Waterwise.  The group have this week released an action plan of a joint approach to tackling water efficiency.  For more information please log onto www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005

WATER-WISE TIPS FOR THE HOME AND GARDEN

In the Home
Have a shower rather than a bath – you will save up to 50 litres of water.
A save-a-flush installed in a toilet cistern will save one litre of water every time you flush the toilet.
A dripping tap can waste up to 26 litres of water in 24 hours – that is enough water for a shower!
Turn the tap off while you brush your teeth – you will save up to 14 litres of water.
Clean vegetables in a bowl rather than under a running tap – you will save around 23 litres of water a day.
Ensure washing machines and dishwashers are full before use – dishwashers use around 35 litres of water per cycle and washing machines use around 80 litres of water per cycle.

In the Garden
Water plants in the evening to retain moisture in the soil and aim water at the base of the plant – there is no need to water leaves.
Create a depression in the ground around plants to prevent water running away.  It is best to give plants a good soaking rather than watering little and often.
Invest in a waterbutt and capture rainwater for use in a dry period.  Rainwater is very good for plants.
A hosegun fitted to your hosepipe allows you to turn water on and off easily as you move around the garden and to aim the water at the plant you want to water.

For further advice on water efficiency or to request a free save-a-flush customers should ring 01245 212 360.

For further information and interviews contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.