Three major water companies – Anglian Water, Southern Water and Thames Water – are lifting the hosepipe restrictions that were put in place in April following two unusually dry winters.
Record rainfall in April and further significant rainfall in May and June has led to serious flooding in some parts of the country but has also meant that river and reservoir levels have returned to normal levels.
This is all good news. But despite the fact that the risks of drought and widespread water restrictions this summer have been significantly reduced we all still need to keep an eye on our water usage to avoid problems in the future.
Here a few Drain Doctor tips that we have already shared to help conserve water and save some cash at the same time:
- Use a bowl in the sink when washing fruit, vegetables or dishes. You can then use the waste water to water your plants.
- Fill a jug of water and put it in the fridge for when you want a cool drink.
- Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth. A running tap uses up to nine litres of water a minute.
- Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine or your dishwasher. Some new washing machines use less than seven litres of water for each kilogramme of clothes, while modern dishwashers can use as little as 10 to 15 litres of water a cycle.
- If possible, take a shower instead of a bath. A five-minute shower uses about 40 litres of water. This is about half the volume of a standard bath.
- Use a water-saving device in your toilet cistern. Depending on the size of your cistern, you could save between one and three litres each time you flush the toilet.
- Using a watering can in the garden instead of a sprinkler or a hosepipe. Garden sprinklers and hosepipes left running can use between 500 and 1,000 litres of water an hour.
- Think about fitting a water-butt to collect rainwater off your roof. Water butts usually store about 200 litres of water. As well as being better for watering your plants, using rainwater in the garden reduces the amount of treated water you use.
- Check your property regularly for leaks on your internal plumbing.
For more details and news on floods, droughts and hosepipe restrictions have a look here.
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- Thames Water could lift hosepipe ban sooner than expected unless weather ‘takes Saharan twist’ (thisislondon.co.uk)
- Companies to lift hosepipe bans (itv.com)
- UK News: Companies to lift hosepipe bans (walesonline.co.uk)