NI Water is challenging kids to become special detectives in the home to prove that saving water isn’t rocket science.

Ahead of the Foyle Science Showcase this weekend as part of the NI Science Festival, mission controllers at NI Water are counting down the smart ways to save water in our homes.

The event takes place at Foyle Arena in Derry/Londonderry on Saturday, 21 February and the NI Water team will be on hand to help budding young science sleuths complete a special task.

The aim is to encourage young scientists to take the water saving pledge and receive a special goody bag. Visitors to the NI Water stand will also have an opportunity to complete a quiz for a chance to win a garden water butt.

The challenge is to use the NI Water calculator to find out how much water your family uses.

Young researchers can then deploy the NI Water saving checklist to introduce some new ways of harnessing water better and then calculate the difference to see how much their family can save in the home.

Environmental Outreach and Learning Officer Anna Killen says: "Did you know that we each use approximately 170 litres of water a day?

“People mistakenly believe the long spell of rainy days we have recently experienced means we do not need to be careful with the water we use. That is not the case as all that water needs to be cleaned and pumped to our homes and schools. This uses a lot of electricity which is expensive.  NI Water is the biggest user of electricity in Northern Ireland. 

“The energy used to clean, transport and heat water also has a big impact on our environment. Saving water and reducing the amount we waste can help us look after our environment while ensuring we have enough water for everyone.

“Water has become more precious than ever with the impact of global warming and climate change causing weather and rainfall patterns to change. We want to raise awareness around getting water smart at our stand for the Foyle Science Showcase, and this year’s challenge is a great way to spread the water efficiency message where most of our water usage happens – in the home.

“We all have a responsibility to conserve water where possible. The more water we use means more energy is used to clean and pump it to our homes. If we waste that water, we also waste the energy used to bring it safely to us.”

Countdown to simple and smart ways to save water at home

10: Keep a jug of water in the fridge rather than running the tap each time you want a glass of water

9:  Use a bowl for washing vegetables. A running kitchen tap can use up to 20 litres of water every minute. You can reduce water waste by using a bowl to wash and prepare your vegetables. Then you can use the water to rinse your recycling

8:   Use buckets to wash the car rather than a hose (a hose pipe can release as much as 18 litres of water a minute)

7: Get the grown-ups to have leaking taps fixed – taps that drip once a second lose 33 litres of water a day, 5500 litres of water a year

6: Make full use of your family’s 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

5: One flush of the toilet uses 9 litres of water ­– use a save a flush in the cistern

4: Take a shower instead of a bath One bath can use up to 100 litres of water, whereas an efficient shower uses under 50 litres. But remember power showers can use more water than baths

3: Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need. This will save water and energy

2: Collect rainwater in a water butt for watering plants when the weather gets warmer

1: Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth

Find out more at: Science Festival