At Home

A tap that drips once a second wastes 33 litres a day - in a year that's enough for 446 showers!
Often a new washer is all you need to fix a leaking tap - check all your taps for drips and replace worn-out washers.
Running a tap whilst waiting for the water to get to the right temperature wastes a lot of water.
Fit insulation to hot and cold water pipes. This helps to keep the water in the pipes at the right temperature for longer, so you don't have to run the tap for as long to get hot water (or cold water in the summer). Insulated pipes are also less likely to freeze and burst.
You could also collect the water you run-off for use on the garden, watering houseplants or for rinsing vegetables etc.
If a pipe bursts inside your property it can cause a lot of damage and disruption.
Make sure everyone in your household knows where the stopcock is and that they can turn it on and off in case of emergency. It is usually under the sink, in the hall, bathroom or garage.
Around 13% of water lost through leakage is as a result of leaks from customers' pipes.
If you have a leak on your property please repair it promptly, using a SNIPEF registered plumber.
When buying new appliances, ask about water- and energy-efficient models. Look out for the ECO label.

Save water in the kitchen

Don't use a running tap to wash your hands, dishes or vegetables - Put the plug in or use a bowl instead.
Don´t defrost food under a running tap - Defrost it in the fridge or the microwave instead.
Don't fill the kettle when all you want is a cup of tea - By boiling just the water you need, saves your water and your electricity.
Wait until you have enough clothes or dishes for a full load before you use your washing machine or dishwasher. If you must do smaller washes use the half load cycle. If clothes or dishes aren't too dirty, use a quick wash setting

Save water in the bathroom

Leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth wastes a surprising amount of water. Only turn the tap on when you want to rinse, or use a glass of water for rinsing instead

Try this experiment at home: put the plug in the basin before you start brushing your teeth and keep the tap running the whole time. When you've finished, turn the tap off and mark the level of water with a pencil or lipstick (something that's easy to wash off!).

Next time you clean your teeth, keep the tap turned off until you're ready to rinse. Once again, put the plug in and mark the level of the water you use. You can measure the two volumes by filling back up to the lines using a measuring jug.

Almost a third of water in an average household is used to flush the toilet.

If your toilet has a large or old cistern, fit it with a water-saving device. They save water every time you flush. There are lots of different types and not all of them are suitable for every toilet cistern. A general rule of thumb is larger cisterns can take the larger cistern devices that save more water per flush, smaller cisterns can only take the smaller devices.

However, small, modern cisterns may not be suitable for any type of water-saving device because they already use a low volume flush. Dual-flush toilets should not be fitted with these devices.

A bath uses almost 3 times the water of a shower

Take a shower instead of a bath - it saves water, money and time. By fitting a low-flow showerhead (not suitable for electric showers) you can save even more water - and they get you just as wet as an ordinary shower does!

Watch out for power-showers, they use as much water as a bath.