How to save water around the house

Some parts of the UK are facing a hosepipe ban in a bid to conserve water. Credit: PA

Environment Secretary Michael Gove met water bosses on Tuesday to question them on their failure to meet leakage targets as the UK struggles to tackle the driest summer its had since 1961.

A recent report showed the total average water leakage was 3,183 million litres a day for April 2017 to March 2018 - up two percent since the previous year.

Mr Gove said customers expect a “reliable and resilient water supply” amid low levels in some reservoirs and the introduction by North West supplier United Utilities of a hosepipe ban from August 5.

In the meeting, Mr Gove is set to ask water chiefs how they plan to tackle the issue.

So, what can people do to conserve water at home? Here are a few tips.

  • Bathroom

Leaks

Leaks within your toilets can be a huge source of water loss. A simple way to detect a leak is to add food colouring to the toilet cistern and avoid flushing for an hour. If the colour is present after an hour there is a leak and most often it can be fixed by a plumber.

Brushing your teeth

One of the most obvious and easy ways to save water is to switch off the tap while brushing your teeth.

Flushing

Avoid throwing cotton balls or makeup pads down the toilet to reduce the volume of water used with each flush.

Install a Cistern Displacement Device

Most water companies give out these devices for free. Installing this in your toilet can save up to 5000 litres of water per year.

Bathwater

Avoid wasting bathwater by using it to water the garden or house plants.

  • Kitchen

Covering saucepans with a lid when cooking vegetables is an easy way to reduce the water used for boiling food. Credit: PA

The sink

Adding a washing up bowl to catch excess water that drips from the tap can help reduce water wastage by 50 per cent. Adding a tap aerator can also reduce the flow of water.

Dishwasher

Loading the dishwasher to maximum capacity is advisable to make maximum use of the water.

Kettle

Fill the kettle with the volume of water needed for your hot drink.

  • Garden

Sprinklers can use more water than an entire family of four use in a day. Credit: PA

Mulch and bark

Using mulch and bark around the garden can help reduce evaporation by 75 per cent.

Sprinklers

Turn on the sprinklers in the early morning or late afternoon when evaporation is at its lowest.

Hosepipes

Attaching a trigger nozzle can reduce the amount of water used and better direct the flow of water to the plants' roots.

Brown grass

While the temptation may be to keep the grass green all the way through summer, experts have suggests that lawns are quicker to recover after rainfall when the grass is brown as it builds up resistance.