School’s out for summer and NI Water is reminding the public there’s no better time to get water smart and learn about the simple things everyone can do to help save water at home.
A top tip to keep kids hydrated when they are off school and spending more time at home is to keep a jug of water in the fridge, instead of letting the tap run cold. Storing water in the fridge in a lidded jug and changing it every day is a great way to help all the family keep hydrated and save water at the same time. It also helps reduce single use plastics and helps protect nature too.
Another tip is to use any leftover water to water plants. Plants love to have a drink of water that’s been leftover in glasses or jugs around the home. Or use a bowl for washing vegetables and then reuse this water for plants.
It’s also easy to begin thinking about other ways you can reduce your water usage indoors. Start with thinking how much water you are using each day - whether you are washing your hands, cleaning the dishes or tidying up the garden, you start to realise just how important water is and the sheer amount we use.
NI Water education offer Anna Killen, explains how we can save water by looking at everyday habits:
“It’s amazing to think that every day each person uses around 170 litres of water. The good news is there are some simple things we can all do that can make a huge difference to help us all save water, especially over the warm summer months when we should all be more water efficient.
“Staying hydrated is important, especially for children who are at home more over the summer months. With the weather being unpredictable, small changes to the ways we use our water indoors can go a long way.
“Did you know that 36% of people in Northern Ireland spend between five and 10 minutes in the shower and over 50% of people still overfill the kettle. With rising energy costs, it might be time to think about ways to save money such as reducing the time spent in the shower or trying the 4-minute shower challenge by putting on your favourite 4-minute song and seeing if you can finish before the end.
“Overfilling your kettle can use twice as much energy each time you boil so just fill it with as much water as you need.”
To help you kick start these new habits and ‘Get Water Fit’, complete the online water audit at https://www.getwaterfit.co.uk or take part in water saving challenges and receive your free water saving items including a 4 minute shower timer, toothy timers and swell gel bags for the garden.
Some water saving tips from NI Water:
- Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth - A running tap can use 6 litres of water per minute.
- Use a bowl for washing vegetables - Then you can reuse this water for plants. Also use leftover water in glasses to water plants.
- Make full use of your washing machine - Half load programmes on washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load, so wait until the machine is full before switching it on.
- Fix leaking taps - A dripping tap can waste more than 60 litres of water per week.
- Keep a jug of water in the fridge, instead of letting the tap run cold. NI Water recommends water in the fridge needs to be changed every day, or used within 24 hours.
NI Water is also encouraging customers to sign up to its free text alert service which keeps them updated about anything that may impact on their water supply or any of our other services in the area. Sign up here https://www.niwater.com/register-for-keeping-you-informed/
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Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com
