Water saving tips - outside the home

You can with a watering can
Your hosepipe can emit as much as 18 litres of water a minute. Instead use a watering can in your garden you can significantly reduce the amount of water wasted and if you must use a hosepipe fit it with a trigger gun to control the flow.

Be sprinkler savvy
We all love our gardens, but sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 litres of water per hour. Using your sprinkler early in the morning or late in the evening will mean less water will evaporate from your garden and more will get to the roots, where you actually want it.

Invest in a butt
Your roof collects tens of thousands of litres of rain each year, which then just runs straight into the sewers. This could fill hundreds of water butts, which could be used to water your garden, your houseplants, or wash your car for free. To get a butt, call your local water company.

Soak, don't sprinkle
Giving your plants' roots a good soaking once or twice a week in dry weather is much better than lightly watering them every day because most of that water just evaporates away. Do remember, though, that new seedlings need regular watering until they are established.

The bucket and sponge approach
Rather than washing your car with a running hosepipe, try using a bucket and sponge instead. Just 30 minutes with a hosepipe will use hundreds of litres and using a bucket will give your car a much more precise wash.

Information provided by Waterwise