How Does Your Garden Grow? (Press Release)
With Metered Sprinklers, Watering Cans and Water Butts All In a Row.
Every water company has a duty to encourage its customers to use water in an efficient way and we all have a responsibility to secure the long-term sustainability of our water supplies.
Watering your garden can be a particularly wasteful activity. Using a sprinkler for an hour consumes 1000 litres of water which is enough water for a family of four for upto 2 days or enough for 4000 cups of tea! A hosepipe uses 500 litres per hour. Little of the water used by a sprinkler actually benefits the plants targeted: there is a high rate of evaporation from the fine spray and often the water ends up on the garden path!
Considering the long-term sustainability of our water resources is the ‘right thing to do’. However, there are other benefits associated with using water wisely. Sprinkler use creates significant short-term peaks in demand which put a tremendous strain on the distribution system and increases the Company’s operating costs which have to be reflected in future customer bills.
Customers who use sprinklers or unattended hosepipes are using more than their ‘fair share’ of water and can potentially cause bills for all customers to rise. Therefore, it is only right that they pay for the actual amount of water that they use. For this reason South Staffordshire Water Plc has a policy to compulsorily meter domestic customers who use a sprinkler or unattended garden watering device. Customers have a choice: they can follow advice on using water wisely and keep their garden healthy without using a sprinkler or unattended hosepipe or they can continue in their wasteful way and have a meter fitted.
Information about using water wisely in the home and garden is available on the company website www.south-staffs-water.co.uk. Customers wishing to use a sprinkler or unattended garden watering device should contact 0845 456 7063 to arrange for the installation of a meter which will be fitted at the Company’s cost.