I am not getting stressed about it, it was all justified extra usage.
However it appears that Cornerstones' August consumption was still less than 50% of the average 2 person household in the UK, so we are not doing too badly. There is a helpful site here which explains the amount used by household appliances, and efficient practices.
Other bathroom savings - I'm pretty obsessive about teeth cleaning, but not with a running tap. Turning the tap off during brushing saves 10 litres a time. And we don't flush if we use the loo in the aptly named "wee small hours" - we're fortunate in having an efficient dual flush.
I run the washing machine every 5 days or so, on an eco programme, and the dishwasher usually every other day. And we ensure that both machines have a full load. And the garden and greenhouse are watered from the water butt. I've used the hose just once this summer.
Water is a precious resource, we need to use it wisely [more tips here] The water companies may have let us down badly, failing to fix leaks promptly and discharging effluent into rivers... But that does not a solve each one of us from our responsibilities to use water thoughtfully and carefully.
In some parts of the world, women and children walk miles every day to carry water to their families. And many children die from drinking contaminated water.
Never let me take the clean water from my tap for granted!
I didn't know about twinning your tap. Our loo has been twinned with one in DRC for a while now. I looked up the coordinates on Google maps and could see the small town it was built in. I sometimes wonder if it still works, or if the conflict affected the people who used it and they had to leave.
ReplyDeleteThe charity started with twinning toilets, but now you can twin taps and fridges!
DeleteDo you live in the tropics or a desert? I am quite lucky in Norfolk, we have no water shortage now or pending.
ReplyDeleteLike you I am in Norfolk, but I don't want to take water for granted, and I do want to be a good role model for my grandchildren
DeleteHa ha. I don't waste water either. I have one wash a week. However preaching about water is as bad as listening to Reeves, Starmer and Rayner chucking mud at the elderly and we've all had enough of that.
DeleteWe are so lucky to have clean water and never have to think about it not coming out of the tap. I was reminded again when the Oasis leaflet from Water Aid arrived the other day.
ReplyDeleteIf we learn to count our blessings, we will learn to share them too
DeleteGreat post! I used to teach a unit in year 5 on water and rivers (my Vltava lesson series in music is my last surviving remnant of that) and used to really try to educate my kids! Well done for being a Water Wizard! Kx
ReplyDeleteThanks K. And well done for all your water lessons!
DeleteTotally agree Ang. When we are in the moho it shows how little water you need although we do use the onsite showers. Catriona
ReplyDeleteHaving to fetch and carry water on that sort of trip makes you more aware of what you are using
DeleteI think that unless you have lived in an era when water was not readily available it's hard to understand how important it is. Just after the war my grandparents bought a large house in Cornwall, with only a giant rainwater tank in the garden, We had to be so careful. Thankfully mains water didnt take too long to be connected. You are certainly doing all the frugal things to save water.
ReplyDeleteThank you 👍
DeleteWe do all the same things as you to conserve water. I pray daily for clean water for the whole world, a basic need which so many people do not have. A thought provoking post thank you. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteIt still appalls me that so many people in the world don't have access to running water. I have been a monthly donator to WaterAid for about 25 years now. I live in hope that things may change.
ReplyDeleteSave water, shower with a friend! I can't bear the thought of children drinking that filthy water.
ReplyDeleteOnly you could suggest that water saving tip, A!!😉
DeleteThe amount of water I use depends on how much I water the garden. Growing fruits and vegetables in a semi-arid climate requires a lot of water. I usually manage to stay within my lowest rate water allocation, but, in the summer, I tend to go over the allotted amount and pay a higher rate.
ReplyDeleteI think that you have different rules from us about saving rainwater etc . That makes a difference for watering plants
DeleteWe have a very efficient well with a good supply of water, but when there is a power outage, we are only too happy to use the generator and get the electric pump working again. Even though we seem to have an unlimited supply, I never take water for granted and I save water when I am running the hot tap, and either add it to the washer or use it to water plants when it cools down completely.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I may not have a 'Futility Room' ... I do have a twinned toilet. Mine is twinned with one in the Democratic Republic of Congo. :-)
ReplyDeleteI HATE it when I see people brushing their teeth with the tap running, or washing pots under a running tap, what a huge waste of water.
👍💧💧💧👍
DeleteI always taught my kids - "If it's brown - flush it down. If it's yellow - let it mellow." Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI've just returned from the craft group. The sign over the loo there says "if it's wee, let it be, if it's poo, flush it through" I think your version is a little more subtle!
DeleteA timely reminder of what we can all do to use water wisely and realise how blessed we are in this country.
ReplyDelete