It s precious... don t waste it A practical guide to using water efficiently
Contents Introduction 3 What does it matter? 4 A little water can mean a lot of trouble 4 Providing enough water a delicate balancing act 4 To give an idea of the problems we face 5 How much water do you use? 6 In the kitchen 6 In the bathroom 6 In the garden/outside 6 How do you measure up? 7 How you can help 8 Top tips for everyone 8 Top tips at home 8 Gardening an area of growing concern 9 Top tips for gardeners 9 Devices that help save water 10 In the loo! 10 In the bathroom... 10...and all sinks 10 In the kitchen or utility area 11 In the garden 11 What we are doing to conserve water 12 Who s helping to save water? 12 What we are doing 12 Offering meters also helps 13 Helping to find and fix leaks 13 Publicity 13 Helping schools 14 Gardening advice 14 Special partnerships 14 How to find out more 15 Want to know more? 15 Remember 15 Introduction This leaflet is designed to give helpful advice on ways to use water efficiently in the home and in the garden. Where conserving water is concerned, every little helps. At Sutton and East Surrey Water, we believe in doing all we can to safeguard this precious resource and, in line with our legal obligations, we aim to ensure that unnecessary waste is avoided. If you have any queries, please call our Customer Services Team on 01737 772000. They ll be happy to help. 2 3
What does it matter? 4 A little water can mean a lot of trouble Providing enough water a delicate balancing act Water resources, particularly here in the South-East, have become a serious issue in recent years, for three main reasons: Low winter rainfall Increasing evidence that global warming may be beginning to affect our climate A greater demand for water An increasing population We normally get enough rainfall over the winter months to replenish the underground aquifers from which our region sources 85% of our water supply, but since 1990 we have suffered some of the severest droughts in the last 100 years. Rainfall has tended to be low between October and April, which is when the underground aquifers, from which we take most of our water, are refilled. As it is, the South-East receives 50% less rainfall on average than the rest of the UK, and also has one of the highest per capita consumption rates. This puts a great deal of pressure on water resources. If we do nothing and the demand continues to increase, water control measures will have to be imposed. More people have washing machines, dishwashers and cars that need washing than ever before. We take showers more frequently, for longer and use more powerful showers. Gardening is more popular than ever. Our water use has grown steadily over the last two decades to the point where we each use around 170 litres of water a day. To illustrate the scale of Sutton and East Surrey Where savings can be made Water s operations, we supply 165 million litres of water a day to 645,000 people in an area of more than 833 square kilometres. The majority of our raw water comes from aquifer sources deep underground. During suitable wet conditions water is also pumped from the River Eden into our main Bough Beech Reservoir in Kent. Obtaining these resources and supplying treated water uses energy water is heavy to move so, by saving water customers can help us to reduce their carbon footprint. Reducing hot water use can contribute significantly to energy bills, since a quarter of energy in the home is used to heat water. A family of four can waste 80 litres of water a day if they leave the tap running while they clean their teeth A dripping tap can waste 10,000 litres of water a year, enough for two baths a week or a shower every day Using the washing machine four times a week instead of five can save 5,000 litres of water a year A water-efficient shower uses around 30 litres of water in four minutes a bath uses three times this amount A hosepipe or garden sprinkler can use more water in one hour than a family of four uses in two days A tap left running for ten minutes when washing vegetables, for instance uses 100 litres of water which disappear straight down the drain. 5
How much water do you use? To help understand the amount of water your household uses, just complete this easy to follow checklist. Then calculate how this compares with other households to see if you are a water saver or high water user! Remember to include everyone in your home. Add the figures in the orange boxes = Divide by the number of people in your household Divide by 7 to calculate the daily consumption per person.. In the kitchen How many times... Per week Litres*...do you use a washing machine (either at home or in a launderette)? x = *Multiply by the litres per cycle of your machine, or if unknown assume 60 litres for machines purchased since 2004 and 100 litres for those up to 2004...do you use a dishwasher? x = *Multiply by the litres per cycle of your machine, or if unknown assume 20 litres for machines purchased since 2004 and 50 litres for those up to 2004...do you wash dishes by hand? x = *6 litres if without tap running, 30 litres if tap left running to rinse How many......glasses/cups of water used for drinking (incl. tea/coffee etc)? x 0.3 =...saucepans filled for cooking or sinks filled for food preparation? x 2 = In the bathroom How many times... Per week Litres*...is the toilet flushed (average five times/day/person) x = *6 litres if installed since 2000, 8 litres if 1991-2000, 10 litres if before 1991 (take off 1 if Hippo/Save-a-Flush fitted) How many......times is tap run for cleaning teeth, washing hands/face etc? x 10 =...baths are taken? x 100 =...showers are taken (per five minute use)? x = *30 litres if regular shower, 70 litres if power shower In the garden/outside How many times... Per week Litres*...do you use a hosepipe per week on average over the year? x = *170 litres per ten minute use...do you use a sprinkler per week on average over the year? x = *170 litres per ten minute use Per week Number of watering cans filled using tap water? x 6 = How do you measure up? Less than 120 litres per person per day You are a water saver! Please continue to use water wisely and encourage younger family members to do the same. Between 120-160 litres per person per day You could save more water, for example by fitting more modern water efficient appliances or taking less baths and more showers. Over 160 litres per person per day You are a high water user! You could reduce your consumption, for example by using water efficient appliances or reducing the use of hosepipes or sprinklers. If you are on a meter you could reduce your bill significantly by using water more wisely. Water-volume figures provided are based on our estimation of industry average or common use. For example, water-usage will vary for different makes and styles of washing machines; and not everyone will fill their bath to the same level. This Water Usage Checklist is provided as a guide only, and should not be regarded as an exact record of your water-use. Water Audits can be undertaken for organisations and business premises. Contact the Water Conservation & Regulations Team on 01737 772000. 6 Estimate the number of litres used per week for other purposes, e.g. cleaning, pressure washers, paddling/swimming pool, water softener, dripping taps (four litres/day), topping up pond. = 7
8 How you can help Top tips for everyone Top tips at home Using water with care is something we can all do. We believe that, if we work with our customers, treating water as a precious and limited resource, there will be enough to meet all reasonable demands. Saving water in the home, in the garden or at work need not mean making sacrifices. There are many simple and cost-effective measures we can all adopt measures that have virtually no impact on our lifestyle or comfort, but can have a significant impact on how much water we actually use. If you own a large, older style cistern you can install a Hippo bag, or with newer cisterns a Save-a-Flush bag, to reduce the amount of water flushed. These water-saving devices are available free via www.waterplc.com or by calling 01737 772000 Even a 500ml plastic bottle or two, filled with water and placed carefully in the cistern avoiding the ballcock action, will help save water each time you flush. Alternatively, you could consider installing one of the newer dual-flush units. Have a shower instead of a bath a bath uses up to three times as much water. However, power showers can use more water in five minutes than a full bath. Why not take the four minute shower challenge? Each minute off your shower time saves around ten litres of water as well as money off your energy bills. Don t leave the tap running when you re washing, cleaning your teeth or washing vegetables. Clean the car with a bucket and sponge not a hosepipe. Gardening an area of growing concern Top tips for gardeners Load the washing machine and dishwasher fully. Two half loads use more water and energy than a full load. When buying a new appliance, choose one that uses less water they often use less energy as well. Fix dripping taps and toilet leaks a dripping or running overflow means the ball valve needs attention. Keep a jug of water in the fridge in hot weather instead of running the tap each time for a cool drink. Produced in consultation with The Royal Horticultural Society, our leaflet Drought Resistant Gardening gives advice on how to create a beautiful and healthy garden in the driest conditions, together with a useful list of trees, shrubs and plants of all sorts which have some drought tolerance. Contact our Customer Service Team for a free copy. Fit a water butt in the garden to collect any rain water plants prefer rain water Cut your grass less frequently in dry weather and raise the cutting height of your lawnmower Leave cuttings on the lawn to return nutrients to the soil or use them as mulch for shrubs Water your plants, using a watering can, in the early morning or evening to minimise evaporation, and aim for the roots Use mulches or groundcover to lower soil temperature, keep weeds away and hold moisture in the soil Position thirsty plants in shady areas. Make sure plenty of moisture retaining organic matter is dug in around the plants Use watering holes or inverted cut-down plastic bottles partially buried at the base of the plant, to stop water running away during watering. 9
Devices that help save water Our website provides a full and up-to-date list of companies and organisations that provide devices that can help save water.*... and all sinks Tap inserts Some taps can be fitted with spout inserts that help spray water at a lower rate. Alternatively, the flow rate can be controlled by adjusting the isolating valve a small valve on the pipework to the tap which turns it on and off, or anywhere in between. In the loo! In the bathroom... Did you know that a third of all domestic water is flushed down the toilet? Modern toilet cisterns are sized at six litres, compared to 13 litres several decades ago. Cistern displacers Save-a-flush sachets and Hippo bags are provided by us free of charge. (Contact details below). Slipped into the cistern of a toilet in a home or business premises, they will help save water every time the toilet is flushed. Water inside the cistern causes the Save-a flush sachet to expand, and so reduces the amount of water needed to refill the cistern saving one litre of water with every flush. Hippo bags, used in older cisterns, also work by displacing water volume, and can save up to three litres per flush. The flushing action of the toilet should not be affected by either added device. Order them free online at www.waterplc.com or call our Customer Services Team. Did you know that taking a bath can use three times the amount of water as a shower? Showers The flow rate of the shower can vary from 5 to over 25 litres per minute. If the flow rate of your shower is high, you can replace the showerhead with a water-efficient version. These aerated showerheads often feel the same but make a big impact on your fuel bills. In the kitchen or utility area In the garden Sink-plugs It sounds obvious but don t keep the tap running and let water run away to waste. Use a sink-plug and fill the sink with only the amount of water you need. When buying a new washing machine or dishwasher, always check the volume of water used to decide which is the most water efficient model. This is different to the Energy Rating of the appliance. Did you know that a hosepipe can use as much water in ONE HOUR as a family of four uses in TWO DAYS? Trigger-guns If you have to use a hosepipe (always consider watering cans and buckets first) then make sure you can control it. Use a trigger-gun attachment to target where and when you use the water. Water butts Save for a non-rainy day by collecting the water that nature provides, and re-use this rainfall on the garden in dry weather. * Take advantage of our special Water Butt offer www.waterplc.com There are other ways in which you can save water within your home or business. Visit our website www.waterplc.com or call our Customer Services Team to find out how. Sutton and East Surrey Water does not endorse nor recommend any products mentioned on * our website. We have not tested these products nor do we have any commercial relationship with the organisations selling them and as such accept no third-party responsibility. The listings are merely provided as wider information on the subject of efficient water use. 10 11
What we are doing to conserve water hilly areas, this is a complicated operation, because more pressure is needed to ensure supplies reach customers living on higher ground. Who s helping to save water? Water companies, the Government, the Environment Agency, the financial regulator OFWAT and a host of other organisations and interested parties are all looking at the issue of water resources as a matter of urgency. And while water companies have always promoted the need for, and the benefits of, using water efficiently, doing so is now a statutory requirement. We welcome this legal obligation. It adds greater weight and urgency to our efforts. Offering meters also helps Most people believe that metered water is a good idea. It means they pay for the exact amount of water they use, and could also save money. We encourage the installation of water meters where they will benefit customers and reduce demand. Meters are automatically installed in all new properties, and we ask property developers in our area to include water efficiency measures when they What we are doing We have an on-going programme designed to ensure that our distribution system and water treatment works operate efficiently and with minimum wastage. We renew about one per cent of our water mains each year. That s one of the highest rates in the industry. At the same time, our leakage rate of just over 15 per cent is one of the lowest in the country. We have a district metering system throughout our supply area. This enables us to detect unusually high flows, in the middle of the night, for instance, so we can direct our leakage detection teams to where we believe there are leaks. This has been a highly effective tool in helping us meet our challenging leakage targets. Helping to find and fix leaks are designing and fitting new homes. If you want to find out more about metered water, please ask for a copy of our leaflet Having a water meter fitted, or call 01737 773477 About a third of all water lost through leaks escapes from customers own supply pipes, so we offer free advice and assistance in locating and repairing leaks. For details of our leak detection and repair scheme, please contact our Customer Service Team. If your water supply is metered, we recommend you check your bills for any unexplained rise in water used which could indicate a leak. We have also applied a regime of pressure management throughout our supply area. This ensures that water pressure is high enough to meet customers needs, but not so high that it causes pipes to burst. In Publicity Local media newspapers, radio and TV stations - help us to raise public awareness of the need to save it. The media can be especially useful where issues such as rainfall and water conservation are concerned. 12 13
Helping schools Special partnerships Alison Murphy, from Sutton and East Surrey Water, with Marie Tyson, who had her bathroom refitted during the Preston Water Efficiency Initiative The next generation will have to conserve water even more diligently than we do, so we have developed an extensive educational programme for schools in our supply area. We give free talks in schools throughout the area, including a water efficiency talk. Additionally, thousands of local children visit the educational facility at our Bough Beech Reservoir and treatment works every year. If you would like more information about the free support our Education Department provides, contact Liz Thorne on 01372 460111. The Preston Water Efficiency Initiative a joint pioneering project funded by the Government s New Growth Points programme and undertaken by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Raven Housing Trust, Sutton and East Surrey Water, Waterwise, Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency showed that it is possible to reduce water usage by 25 per cent by introducing new water efficient devices within homes in the Preston area of Banstead in Surrey. Relatively simple changes were made which did not affect lifestyles. We have also formed partnerships with local councils to promote the use of water-efficient plants and gardening methods in their parks an gardens and to foster water efficiency in their buildings. How to find out more Want to know more? Remember If you would like to know more about what we re doing to use water more efficiently, and how you can help, call us on 01737 772000, or visit www.waterplc.com, or write to the address on the back of this leaflet. We have a range of literature that can help, including leaflets on finding and fixing leaks, the various tariffs available to domestic and business customers, how to avoid frost damage to your pipes and many other issues. Five per cent of all water supplied leaks from customers own pipes before it reaches their taps. If you think you may have a leak, call us now on 01737 772000. All the initiatives mentioned in this leaflet were planned in consultation with the Environment Agency and have its full support. 14 15
Other information in our series of booklets: Why saving water makes good business sense Keeping your water flowing How we help you to detect and repair leaks Having a water meter fitted Any questions? If you would like further information, please contact: Customer Services Sutton and East Surrey Water London Road Redhill RH1 1LJ Telephone: 01737 772000 Office hours: Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5.00pm Friday 8.30am-4.30pm Supply emergencies 24hrs www.waterplc.com