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While 2010 was not as bad as years gone by, some parts of the United Kingdom still had water shortages during the summer, in fact some areas had a hosepipe ban and flood warnings at the same time. Having a hosepipe ban meant that water was being rationed, it led to dirty cars and gardens looking wilted but nothing too serious. It is likely that hosepipe bans will happen most years in the future, but there are things everyone can do to ensure too much water is not used in homes throughout the country.
Water companies are also making moves towards making each household pay for every drop of water used rather than paying them a set amount each year. They are putting water metres in homes all over the country. For some, this could be better and will lead to lower bills, but for others it could lead to much larger water bills and they will need to try and save water. It will also mean a large water bill should a pipe burst in the home, and if the property is privately rented the owner may need to claim on the landlord insurance. Landlords can help by placing notices in their properties advising on water saving actions.
There are ways everyone can save water, in the kitchen do not leave water running while doing the washing up, this simple act means around 9 litres of water will be saved each minute. Collect the water which runs while waiting for hot water to come through, this can be used to water plants. Do not ignore a leaky tap; fix it as soon as possible. In the bathroom take a quick shower instead of a bath. Install a shower timer or use a lower power shower. Cutting the shower time by just one minute less per shower can save 12000 litres of water for a family each year.
Install a water displacement system in the cistern of the toilet, this will mean less water is used every time the toilet is flushed. In the kitchen try and make sure that a washing machine or a dishwasher is efficient. Do not use either of them until they are full. Remember that doing a half wash does not mean half the water is used; in fact it will use more than half. Wash vegetables in the sink with the plug in or use a bowl to wash them. In the garden try and harvest rainwater which can be used on the garden as well as flushing the toilet or cleaning the car and patio. Use a watering can instead of a hose on the garden.
These are only small steps in the war against water wastage, but if everyone did just a few of these things it would make a huge difference.