Turn off the tap

Three Rivers District Council is helping its residents to reduce their water use by 12 litres a day.

Hertfordshire has one of the highest rates of water consumption in the country as well as being located in the driest region.

Three Rivers District Council is helping its residents to change their habits.  The aim is to reduce water consumption from 162 litres per person a day, to the national average of 150 litres and beyond that to the future vision of 130 litres per person per day.

Three Rivers have teamed up with Affinity Water and ‘Green our Herts’, to promote water efficiency to Hertfordshire’s residents.

Eye catching posters are now appearing around the district with simple actions to reduce water use. Free shower timers, toothbrush timers and save-a-flush devices are available from Three Rivers House or online at Green Our Herts .

Around 85% of the world’s chalk stream habitats are in England and a majority of these are in Hertfordshire.  These habitats depend on a healthy flow of water but there is severe pressure on our precious water resources.

Saving water not only helps the environment but also saves money on metered water bills and reducing wastage of hot water also lowers energy bills.

Here are some top tips to help save 12 litres of water a day:

• Turn your tap off whilst brushing your teeth and save 6 litres of water per minute
• Cutting your shower time by just 1 minute saves up to 10 litres of water.
• Using a hose for 10 minutes wastes 60 litres of water. Collect rainwater to water your garden instead.
• Every flush uses up to 9 litres of drinkable water.  Don’t use your toilet as a bathroom bin and only flush when you need to.
• Running the tap for cold water wastes 6 litres per minute, keep a jug of water in the fridge.
• Fix leaky taps as soon as you notice them.  This saves up to 60 litres of water per week.