Thames Water shares top tips to save water this spring
Tuesday 4th April 2023 13:00
Save water this spring - use a watering can
- The UK’s largest water company is urging customer to save water this spring
- Extreme climate conditions are making it harder to protect future water resources
- Thames Water customers with outdoor space use up to 50% more water on hot days (temperatures above 25c)
- Prepare for summer by choosing water efficient plants this spring
Ahead of Easter, Thames Water is encouraging its customers to use water wisely. Whether people are spring cleaning or getting the garden ready for summer there are simple swaps that everyone can adopt to save water.
Small changes include using a watering can in the garden or washing cars with a bucket and sponge. Keen gardeners can also create a water saving garden this spring by opting for drought-resistant plants including, sunflowers, Fernleaf lavender and pot marigolds.
Thames Water has shortlisted five top tips to help gardeners save water this spring, including:
- Collect rainwater - rainwater is a free source of water that can be collected using a water butt, watering can or bucket to water your plants.
- Swap to a watering can - use a watering can instead of a hose as it slows the flow when watering containers, resulting in more water staying inside the pot.
- Water your plants in the morning - you can water your plants in the morning, to help them draw on the water throughout the day. It will also help lessen the high demand of water in the early evening.
- Train your plants - by giving your plants less water, it will encourage them to drink less. The plants will then drink the water slower in order to make it last longer.
- Keep on top of weeding and mulching - by regularly weeding your garden and mulching flowerbeds, base of shrubs and hanging baskets, you’ll help to keep water retention.
Despite the UK experiencing the wettest March in 40-years, February was also the driest on record in 30-years for England. The swing between extreme climate conditions is a clear indication that it’s more important than ever to protect our future water supply.
Last year is a prime example of just how quickly the weather can change. In May, river and reservoir levels were above average, but by the end of June the whole of the UK was facing extremely hot weather, coupled with increased demand for water, placing pressure on our water resources across London and the Thames Valley.
Andrew Tucker, Thames Water’s water demand manager said: “We all have a role to play when it comes to saving water. Whilst we welcome the recent rain in March, we’re increasingly facing more extreme weather conditions as evidenced by last summers heatwave and our hosepipe ban, and most recently with the very dry weather in February.
“Water is a precious resource, and we need to value it, which is why we are asking everyone to play their part in reducing use this Easter and beyond. Understandably, many of our customer will want to start preparing their gardens for summer and may also use the long weekend to start spring cleaning, and by making small changes they can make a big difference.”
There are also cost saving benefits when it comes to reducing water use in the home. Taking shorter showers is a simple way to save. On average, a shower uses 10 litres of water a minute. That means a 10-minute shower can use 100 litres of water.
If a family of four reduced their shower time by just one minute, they could save, £45 on metered water bills, up to £52 on energy bills, saving almost £100 per year and as much as 11,648 litres of water.
Whilst customers save water at home, Thames Water is out finding and fixing leaks. We’re carrying out more than 1,300 repairs per week – that’s one every 7.5 minutes.
To find more spring water saving tips visit our website. Customers can also see how much water and energy they use with our easy-to-use water saving calculator.