Tips - outside your home

Washing your car

Using a hosepipe to wash your car uses a lot of water. Much of this falls on the floor and is wasted. Pressure washers waste even more. Instead of using a hosepipe or pressure washer, use a bucket when shampooing your car and a watering can when rinsing off the soap
If you must use a hosepipe, ensure that it is fitted with a trigger nozzle that will stop the flow of water when it is released. This will prevent water running to waste.

Garden watering

Recent growth of interest in gardening has significantly increased the demands on water for the garden. However, there is a lot you can do to reduce the amount of water you use without risking damage to your garden.

If you must use a hosepipe, ensure it is fitted with a trigger nozzle that will stop the flow of water when you release it.
Do not water your plants or lawns in direct sunlight. Not only will you risk scorching your plants, but you will also lose a lot of water through evaporation, so your plants and lawns will not benefit from it anyway.
Use a watering can rather than a hosepipe, and direct the water straight to the roots of your plants where it will be most effective.
Consider using an irrigation system that will deliver water directly to your plants.
Use mulch to cover the soil in your flowerbeds. The mulch holds water and helps to keep your soil moist. It also reduces the effects of evaporation, so less mains water is needed to keep your plants healthy.
Consider planting drought resistant and low water-use plants and grasses. Some plants that are water-friendly include: lavender, geranium, verbena, poppies, some ornamental grasses, agapanthus, sedum, verbascum and campanula.

Remember that the current water regulations state - if you wish to use a garden sprinkler or unattended hose or irrigation system then you must have a water meter fitted.

Water butts

The average roof collects about 85,000 litres of rainwater in a year. This is enough to fill 450 water butts with free water.

A water butt catches rain water from the roofs of buildings and then is used to fill watering cans for garden watering etc.
We have a link to our preferred supplier, Blackwall Plc, who offers reduced prices for water butts and composters. Water butts can often be purchased cheaply from outlets such as DIY stores and garden centres.