Although we’ve now had the hottest June on record in Wales and forecasters are predicting that this prolonged dry period is set to continue for a few weeks, we do not have concerns about our water resources at the moment.
Customers may notice that some reservoirs look low but water levels are where we would expect them to be for the time of year as we move water around our 27,000km of network.
Our teams are also out and about working around the clock fixing leaks on the network. Customers can also help us with this by reporting any leaks as soon as they notice them either through our website or by calling our leak line on 0800 052 0130.
As we do throughout the year, we always ask customers to be mindful of how they use water and avoid wasting it. Our message is to use as much drinking water as you need, but please don’t waste it. Customers can get advice on how to use water efficiently around the home and garden from our website.
Here are our top ten tips for saving water:
- By turning off the tap each time you brush your teeth, you can save up to 18 litres. That’s a saving of 36 sports bottles each time you brush your teeth - or 72 bottles a day, 504 bottles a week or 26,208 bottles a year – per person!
- Have a shower instead of a bath. This will not only save water, but can also save money because heating water can account for 25% of your energy bill.
- Over one third of the water we use at home goes down the toilet, so if it’s yellow, why not let it mellow?!
- Put a full washing load on rather than two half loads
- Drinking water – This is one area you should NOT cut back on! So keep a jug of water in the fridge so you don’t have to run the tap for as long for a cold drink. We think our tap water is the best in the world so enjoy it!
- Fill the dishwasher and use an ‘eco’ setting or wait and do the dishes all in one go rather than throughout the day
- If you’re buying new appliances, choose water efficient products, or even better, look for a product with a Waterwise Recommended Checkmark. This will reduce your water use without even trying!
- A leaking tap can waste up to 15 litres of water a day – or 5,500 litres a year. That's enough to fill up five and a half fire engines.
- Use a water butt to catch water that could otherwise be taken away through our sewerage pipes. You could use this to clean your car or wash your windows which will help you get into all those awkward nooks and crannies!
- Water your plants or garden with watering can rather than a hosepipe. Watering in the early morning and late afternoon will reduce evaporation so save water