Obviously there are huge issues elsewhere in the world with water shortages, and these are covered elsewhere on the website. But for this post, we’ll focus on droughts in England. We do get a lot of rain in England. But you’re likely familiar with hose pipe bans etc, and may wonder why we have them.
And as well as finding simple solutions to stop flooding, we also need to find simple solutions to stop droughts.
Some people have said that birds are calling out to them in the garden. Only to realise they are thirsty, and asking for water. In England?
Simply put, a drought is where there is a shortage of fresh water. In England it only lasts for a short while (until we get lots of rain). But obviously in hot dry countries, the results can spell long-term disaster.
Not only can droughts affect the amount of fresh water we can drink and use, but it can especially impact farmers, as their crops can fail, and they also have to find fresh water elsewhere, for cattle etc to drink.
If you’re a farmer, know that the charity Forage Aid can supply free feed and other help, in the case of natural disasters, or financial difficulties.
Check for leaks.
Some water companies offer free toilet water leak detection strips. If not, then simply wipe the back of your pan dry with bathroom tissue (30 minutes after you last flushed). Place a dry sheet of paper across the back of the pan, leave for up to 3 hours (or overnight if it’s one you don’t use). If the paper is wet, your loo leaks, so call the plumber.
To check your entire home is free from leaks, take a reading of your water meter, then wait 30 minutes (don’t use any water). Take a second reading. Again if there’s a change, you have a leak somewhere, and need to get it checked.
How to Save Water Indoors
- Repair anything that drips! That means dripping taps (change the washers to save thousands of gallons of water per year).
- Reuse your water, if safe to do so. You can’t reuse bathroom water unless you (have one of those devices that syphons it out the window) and you only use non-scented biodegradable bath products (or else you’ll kill your plants).
- Modern showers save water anyway (you could put a bucket in the shower to catch excess water, for plants). But for older showers, water-saving showerheads are easy to fit (use a qualified electrician), and could save you on bills. Which? magazine suggests this test to see if it’s worth the investment:
Place a 2-litre container on the shower floor. If it takes less than 12 seconds to fill when the shower is running on full, you could benefit from a low-flow shower, which is easily replaced. This aerates the water so it’s a bit like a rain shower, which still gives you a nice shower, but with far less water.
How to Save Water Outdoors
- Use a water butt. Find ones that have quality pet/child safe locks. Don’t leave open barrels of water around (these are drowning hazards, and stagnant water also attracts mosquitoes).
- Use a waterless car wash over washing your car (which also sends untreated oily water down storm drains, and into the sea).
- In the garden, most lawns ‘return to green’ when it rains, so don’t worry about waiting a few days. Learn how to create water-saving gardens.
If gardening alongside animal friends, learn how to make your garden safe for pets (most water-saving mulches are toxic near animal friends).
Eat less meat.
Indirectly, the livestock industry is very water-intensive. So living a plant-based lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to use less water long-term. 90% of the UK’s water is used by agriculture (for food and drink), just 5% or so is from home use. Find lots of simple recipes to start you off.
