Urgent Action Needed To Reduce Water Use

NI Water has called on people to urgently reduce the amount of water they are using as the current hot weather and people holidaying at home has seen demand outstrip supply.

The utility firm said we need to ensure everyone has sufficient water for hygiene and daily use.

Des Nevin, Director of Customer Operations, said: "If demand continues at this level it will lead to failures in our network and some customers will lose supply or suffer low pressure. A number of customers over the past few days are already experiencing this, especially those on high ground.

"Yesterday we put 695 million litres of water into our distribution system, this is over 120 million litres more than normal.

"We are asking our customers to help us, especially over the next few days when temperatures continue to be high. We know from the increase in our night usage some customers are leaving sprinklers and hoses on overnight, please stop.

"A hose uses more water in one hour than the average family uses in a whole day.

"A pressure washer can also be a massive drain, so please think about whether the task is really essential at the moment.

"While it is tempting, please avoid using swimming or paddling pools this weekend. Filling a 12ft swimming pool uses the same amount of water 500 people use for daily handwashing.

"We want everyone to enjoy their home and garden, we just need people to think about how they use their water and if what they are doing is essential."

Some of the easiest tips to save water that can make a massive difference include:

Additional Tips for Garden:

• Lawns are great survivors - a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of clean drinking water in a single hour; more than a family of four would use in a whole day. Even when they look dry and brown, they'll spring back with the first heavy rain, so avoid watering them wherever possible.

• Buy water efficient plants - If you are buying new plants now the garden centres are open look out for water efficient plants that still brighten your garden

• Be pot savvy - If you're potting up or planting containers, use ones made from plastic, glazed terracotta or wood. These tend to lose less water than bare terracotta. Bury a short length of pipe into your pot; if you water into the tube the water goes directly to the roots where the plant needs it most

• Mulch weeds away - Use mulches like bark chips or gravel to retain moisture and keep weeds down

Tips for House:

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth - A running tap can use 6 litres of water per minute.

• Make full use of your washing machine - Half load programmes on washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load, so wait until the machine is full before switching it on. 

• Take shorter showers - Why not challenge yourself and your family to shower one minute quicker? In a year you could save up to 10,000 litres of water! 

• Take a shower instead of a bath - One bath can use up to 100 litres of water, whereas an efficient shower uses under 50 litres. But remember power showers can use more water than baths.

• Car washing - Avoid washing cars and vans frequently, use a bucket and sponge 

NI Water are encouraging customers to sign up to its free text alert service which keeps them updated about anything that may impact on their water supply or any of our other services in the area.