In what ways do YOU save water ?

[Nicos]

As a thought following on from the hosepipe ban thread, I thought it'd be useful to hear how we are all conserving water- and what can be used on our veg.

Just to get the ball rolling....

I have an ensuite loo and in the morning and evening I pour my soapy sink water into the loo to flush it.
I keep a plastic measuring jug on top of the loo especially for this!
( it all started with a dripping tap, so I caught the drips in the jug and poured it into the loo after a wee).
I always wash my hair in the sink- and that goes down the loo too- smells lovely!!

I love a long soak in a hot bath- so I've cut down on the number I have ( I hate showering!)and have a darned good scrub instead( water into loo!)...
then the bath water is left to go cold and then hosepiped onto the flowers below.

Cleanish washing up water is poured into an old dustbin outside the back door and then poured onto the flowers as needed.
Rinsing water goes onto the veg patch.

We have two 1,000litre storage containers collecting water from the roof- with more planned.

So what do you do so we can all share ideas????

( oh- and as you can see- I don't put soapy water on my veg- even though I use bio soap...what's the official advice on this???)

Over to you!

[HeyWayne]

I rescued a glass from falling off of a side table once.

[chris]

I only make sure I only boil enough water (more so for the leccy side) I need in the kettle.

[scarey55]

I never let the tap run when I'm brushing my teeth and I collect rainwater for the potager.

I'm not actually that good about not wasting water so this thread just might jolt me into action. Thanks for the tips so far.

[pdblake]

I have a couple of butts and only water when I need to but when I feel the need I do get the hosepipe out. I do pay for it after all and for the best part of the past few years we've had torrential rain and floods on a regular basis. I think if anyone one should look at how they handle their water it is the water companies and the councils. Just where does all that rain go? Surely there must be ways of capturing and storing all that runoff?

[Bigmallly]

I have 8 waterbutts, linked together as a 3, 2 & 3 singles. I have a submersable pump which I use. On average, 1 butt will water all of my beds. I am on a meter so am extra carefull how I use water. I have not used the outside tap for about 4 years. I even connect the pressure washer to a butt to wash the car & paving.

[jackie j]

In the seventies we were told to bath with a friend. Did then, but yuk not now lol. When the time comes I will save water to water the garden with, I dont leave the tap running at anytime. I do like a bath as our shower is rubbish, but if needs must then a shower it will be. The dishwasher and washing machine are always full, no half measures here.

[Mac]

sorry, water shortage? Come up to mine and help yourselves, can't remember the last dry day we had....

[Rabidbun]

I used to have to have the tap running to drown out the sound of the toothbrush. Took me a while to get over that little insanity but that's my bit, lol.

I would install water butts but just saw the price of the things! O_O

[TonyF]

We have about 3200 litres of water stored at any one time, all collected from the house and rain gutters, some of it gets pumped into butts at the top of the potager so I don't have to use any other water. When the watering stsyem comes on (semi-automated) we have old trugs underneath the hanging baskets to collect all the run off and that gets used on the pots etc without the watering system.

The watering system is adjustable, we use integral taps where we can so that plants that don't need watering so often don't get watered and adjustable nozzles to cut down the amount was water used.

Can't use the shower water, looked into a grey water system and way too expensive unfortunately and the washing machine/dish washer are always on the economy cycle and to save money, they go on overnight when the tarrif is lower.

[Bigmallly]

I would install water butts but just saw the price of the things! O_O

You can pick up the blue food grade barrells for about £6 - £10. Use old dustbins if you can get any, it does not have to be a shop bought butt.

[Two_Sheds]

OH and I share a bath, then it gets pumped out onto the back garden.
We only boil enough water for what we need (it seems daft to do more).

We don't flush every time: if it's yellow let it mellow; and sometimes I don't use the loo at all.

I do wonder why we don't get rewarded for our frugality though: we are in the driest part of the country, have a hosepipe ban every year, yet our water bills just go up and up

[lindyloo]

i wash in the basin, and only take a proper bath once or twice a week. ( its a thorough wash tho!) and i boil a kettle to do the washing up. i only boil a cup of water per cup of coffee as i make it, rather than fill the kettle al the way. i have water butts everywhere to collect water. we have bricks in the cistern to cut down on the flush. only do 2 loads of wash a week, and on 1/2 load if i can get away with it. i dont have a diswasher. and i dont let the taps run.

[Bramble_killer]

full dishwasher and washing machine, all on eco cycles.
Shower with a timer
tap off when brushing teeth (oh doesn't even rinse, he just eats the rest of the toothpaste)
boil only what's needed in the kettle and all the usual suspects.

Only problem at the moment is that all my water butt water smells and I've been trying to use them but in the heat it's mega pong

[Glutton4...]

We share a bath!