how to achieve your water pledges Turn off the tap when brushing my teeth Why pledge?
Tap tips Instead of leaving the tap running when brushing your teeth try using a glass. You can also try using a bowl for washing fruit and vegetables or doing the dishes instead of leaving the tap running. If you run the tap to make water really cold before you drink it, try filling a jug and keeping it in the fridge. Sensor taps with an automatic on-off device that can detect when hands are near it can help save water, especially if you have young children who have difficulty turning them off. Aerating taps have a mechanism to add air to the water in your taps, which means less is used. Fix dripping taps - dripping tap can waste up to 140 litres a week. Turn taps completely off. Replace one bath a week with a shower Why pledge? Shower tips Remember a power shower can use more water than a bath! Flow restrictor showerheads reduce the amount of water delivered. A typical shower running at mains pressure can deliver 20 litres of water per minute. A restrictor head can reduce this to 10 litres per minute. Put a Hippo or a save-a-flush devise in my toilet cistern. Why pledge?
Toilet tips A hippo is suitable for a 9 litre flush or greater and a save-a-flush for a 7 litre flush or greater. When installed in the toilet cistern the hippo or save-a-flush will save water by taking up space that would otherwise have been filled with water. Toilet cisterns installed after 1993 should already be water efficient and therefore do not need any type of devise for the cistern. The average slim-line toilet has a 4.5 litre flush. You can order a free hippo or save-a-flush device from Thames Water at www.thameswater.co.uk or by calling 0845 9200 800. Wandsworth is also taking delivery of 3,000 hippo devices of which 1,000 will be fitted to cisterns in empty properties and where replacements are ordered to occupied properties over the next 12 months. Residents will also be able to pick one up at their local housing office. Dual flush toilets cisterns are designed to give a choice of 4 or 6 litre volume flushes compared with a normal 8 to 9 litre flush. Use water collected in a water butt to water my garden Why pledge?
Garden tips A water butt is a large container used to catch rainwater running off your roof via a pipe coming off your gutter. You can use this water on your garden instead of using a hose. Wandsworth residents can purchase a Rainsaver Water Butt kit for £39.95 including delivery. This offer is supported by Thames Water. Order it online at www.wandsworth.getcomposting.com or by calling 0845 130 6090. Water plants in the evening when its cooler. Water plants close to the root. Avoid sprinklers as they can use 1,000 litres of water in an hour. Use a trigger-spay gun fitted on your hose. Try using a seep hose. Try planting flowers and plants that don't need much watering: lavender, lilacs, tulips, sunflowers, wall flowers, jasmine, buddleia, holly, broom and crocuses. Set your mower on a high level to leave the grass longer and your lawn will stay greener and thicker for longer. Ask my water company to install a water meter Why pledge? Top tips A water meter works like a gas or electricity meter. It records the amount of water that you take from the water main. This means that all the water you use, for drinking, washing, flushing the toilet or for watering your garden, will be recorded on your meter. Water meters can help save you money, as you only pay for what you actually use. They will also help you keep tabs on how much you are using so that you can work to reduce water use and identify if you have any leeks. Thames Water will install a meter at residential properties for free, as long as the work is practical. For more information visit www.thameswater.co.uk or call 0845 9200 888. There is also a tool on the website to calculate how much money you could save on you water bill by installing a water metre. Volunteer to make Wandsworth's waterways cleaner and more biodiverse places Thames 21 is an environmental charity working with communities to bring London's waterways to life. Thames 21 mobilise thousands of volunteers every year to clean up waterside grot-spots, remove graffiti and create new habitats for wildlife. Volunteer at www.thames21.org.uk. If you suspect someone is polluting a river call the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60. Spotted a leak? Call Thames Water on 0800 714 614. |
