Water

A sacred goddess, an ancient mother to us all. So old and magical and everywhere. Cycling around our planet, holding all of our stories and memories. She is amazing.

We honour her in our rites, naming the oceans, rivers and streams, but do we honour her enough in our lives?  Do we adequately acknowledge and appreciate her, with every morning shower, every time we fill the kettle, every time we flush the pot, every puddle we avoid?

How do we use water? Where could we learn to become conscious of it?

Domestic water use is only one element of our total daily water consumption. Water is used in all of our food, and in the production of everything from clothes to cars. It takes 11,000 litres of water to produce a pair of jeans and 400,000 litres to produce a car. The average person in Britain uses about 104 litres of water each day. They may only drink about 4 litres – but the rest goes on cooking, washing and flushing.

Did you know?

  • Since 1950 the world population has doubled but water consumption has increased 6 fold.
  • Over one billion people live without access to a safe or reliable water supply.
  • Across the globe a child dies of a water related disease every 15 seconds.
  • By 2025 it is estimated that 3.4 billion people will be living in countries defined as ‘water scarce’.

How much water does it take to do the simple things in life, to make the things around us?

  • 35 litres to produce a cup of tea
  • 4100 litres to produce a cotton T-shirt
  • 70 litres to produce one apple
  • 170 litres to brew one pint of beer
  • 1450 litres to produce one kilogram of wheat
  • 170 litres to produce one glass of orange juice

Figures from ‘Developments’ by DIFD sign up online at www.developments.org.uk

Water Saving Tips

This is a long list (in a vaguely A-Z sort of style!).  Don't skip over them.  I'd bet there are ideas in here that you haven't thought of, even if most of them are obvious to you. 

  • A dripping tap could waste as much as 90 litres a week. Repair it by replacing washers.
  • Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors.
  • When adjusting water temperatures, instead of turning water flow up, try turning it down. If the water is too hot or cold, turn the offender down rather than increasing water flow to balance the temperatures.
  • Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes almost 9 litres a minute. Rinse out from a tumbler instead, or don't rinse at all.
  • Cool water kept in the fridge means you won't have to run the tap for ages to get a cold drink.
  • Don't use your washing machine until you've got a full load. The average wash needs about 95 litres. A full load uses less water than 2 half loads.
  • Defrosting : don’t use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
  • Every time you boil an egg save the cooled water for your houseplants. They'll benefit from the nutrients released from the shell.
  • Fit a water saving device in your cistern and save up to three litres a flush.
  • Garbage disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal.
  • Installing a water meter can save you water and money by monitoring how much you use.
  • Just taking a five minute shower very day, instead of a bath, will use a third of the water, saving up to 400 litres a week. Replace you showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version.
  • Kettles should be filled with enough water for your needs but not to the brim. This will reduce your fuel bills too.
  • Lag your pipes to avoid bursts and leave your heating on a low setting while you are out in cold weather to prevent pipes freezing. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
  • Replacing a toilet cistern can save water. Toilets manufactured after 1993 use less water per flush.
  • Trigger nozzles can save water by using it only when needed. This can save up to 225 litres a week. Check for Toilet Tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)
  • Use the dirty water when cleaning a fish tank on your houseplants. It's rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which provides an excellent fertiliser. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
  • Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak. Very 'water efficient' washing machines and dishwashers are now manufactured. Machines with 'A' ratings are the most economical.  You'll find that they save on energy too.
  • Water your garden at the coolest part of the day to reduce evaporation.
  • Xeriscape means 'to landscape for water conservation.' The idea is to use plants that require less water. You can also utilise objects for decorative effect such as rocks, bricks, benches and gravel.
  • Z The end of the alphabet but not the end of water saving ideas - why not get in touch and tell us of any you've discovered?

Tips adapted from www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/2945018.stm

Saving Water in the Garden

  • Grow your grass a little longer. It will stay greener than a close mown lawn and need less watering. Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short. Even if the grass turns brown, it will quickly recover after a few days of rain. 
  • Once a week is all the watering your lawn needs even in the hottest weather. Over-watering can weaken your lawn by encouraging roots to seek the surface.
  • Water your garden in the cool of the early morning or evening. This will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation
  • If you water plants and shrubs too often their roots will remain shallow, weakening the plant. Leave them alone until they show signs of wilting.  No further watering is usually required for established trees and shrubs.
  • Collect rainwater in water-butts and use a watering can instead of a hose. If you use a hosepipe, fit a trigger nozzle to control the flow.
  • Regularly weed and hoe your garden, to ensure that watering helps plants and not weeds. Hoeing stimulates the growth of plants, reduces water loss from the soil surface and removes weeds that take up valuable water and nutrients.
  • Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving you both water and time spent weeding.  Mulch for moisture in the garden. Adding a layer of tree bark, compost, coconut husks or even newspaper keeps the sun off the soil and retains precious moisture.
  • Purchasing a water butt will help you to collect rain water for use on the garden.
  • Question your local garden centre about the water requirements of different plants. Some thrive in drier conditions. Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, pinks, lavender, buddleia and hebes.
  • Avoid sprinklers - garden sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day. If you use a sprinkler, many water companies require you to have a water meter fitted.