It certainly been scorching heat lately! We’re becoming more and more dependant on our fans in order to feel cooler. But the last thing we want to do is send our electric bills soaring or using our showers as a way to cool down. We didn’t work hard to save water all year round to ruin it as soon as the sun starts making an appearance! Summer water is a far more precious resource than it’s winter counterpart. In this blog, we’ll explain why. Looking at the balancing act of getting water to homes in the summer and how you can make the most of it in your home.
Why is water difficult to source in the summer?
Unlike electricity, water cannot be stored for an indefinite amount of time. When our reservoirs, lakes and rivers capture rainfall, it is immediately thrown into a flow state. Meaning there’s every chance it could end up in our home as well as back out into the ocean. It all depends when we decide to use it.
Now, as you can imagine, if the rain doesn’t fall, there’s no water to capture. Even when there is only a little bit of water remaining, distributing it is still a challenge. There have been many cases in recent years where hosepipe bans have been introduced in order to reduce water consumption. These aren’t there without reason. In some areas across the UK there has been bottled water on standby as homes were becoming increasingly close to having no water. There is absolutely a need to save water in the summer, fortunately, we know how.
How you should save water in the summer
The truth is, that there should be no difference between your summer and winter usage of water. If you started getting into the habit of shorter showers, turning off taps and leaning water-efficiently months ago, the summer will be a breeze for you! Keep doing what you’re doing, being mindful of how much water you’re using, but also talk to family and friends about it. See if you can help them reduce their water consumption.
Saving water in the summer is no different than in the winter for yourself. The only difference is that water constraints mean your reductions are more important than ever. If you’re looking for tips still, check out our exhaustive list on all the quick and easy actions to take in order to save some water:
- Turn off taps when brushing teeth
- Limit yourself to a 4-minute shower
- Stop using your toilet as a bin and flushing unnecessarily
- Reuse your cooking water in your garden
- Ban your hosepipe/sprinkler in the home
- Cover the paddling pool with a bedsheet so you only fill it once all summer
- Only have a bath once a week
- Choose the eco setting on your washing machine or dishwasher
- Don’t allow the tap to run waiting for cold
We’re sure you can think of plenty more. In fact, we know there are tonnes out there! Everyone has their own idea on how to save water and while some of these may work for you and your lifestyle, others won’t. Why not adopt some and adapt the rest so that they work for you. Alternatively, you can always send us a few tips and we’ll start shouting about them too. It’s a joint effort, and it’s going to take as many of us as possible this summer if we’re to avoid hosepipe bans and emergency bottled water.
