watervole | Water use

Entry tags:

water conservation

Water use

The average water consumption for people in the UK needs to come down as hotter summers increase the chance of drought.

"The EA said customers in England need to cut their water use by 2.5 billion litres a day by 2055 – down from an average of around 140 litres per person per day to 110 litres per day. "

I looked at our previous water bills. In summer, we use around 150L and in winter, significantly than that, but that's the total usage for three adults and a child who is with us for two days a week.

Which makes our individual water usage just under a third of the national average, and already within the target by a good margin. And that includes some water for topping up the pond and watering some of the plants.

We're on a water meter and pay about £170 per year for the household.

We've become very good over the years, at not using a lot of water.

LAUNDRY

A lot of people wear an item once, and automatically chuck it in the laundry (I was completely unaware of this until a woman told me that she washed her teenage son's jeans every day)

Me? If it isn't visibly dirty, and it doesn't smell when I sniff under the armpits, then it's back in the wardrobe, or wear for another day.

If you're selective in the fabrics you buy, you can dramatically reduce the need for laundry.

Linen is amazing. It really doesn't pick up body smells at all - that's because it naturally wicks moisture away from the body, in a way that synthetic fabrics can't.

I found this out while doing my English Civil War Reenactment. The bottom layer of clothing for women is always a linen smock. So, I made a linen smock. I washed it once, to soften the fabric a little, then -having been told that it softened very nicely with wear, started to wear it as a nightie. The most comfortable night garment I've ever worn. I kept on wearing it, every night, waiting for it to get smelly. It didn't. And the fabric now has a wonderful feel when you touch it (probably something to do with the natural oil in flax, but I don't know for sure)

Whereas if I wear something polyester based, it's often just one day's wear.

Cotton is very good as well - not quite so good as linen, but I can wear a cotton t-shirt as an under-layer and get quite a few days out of that before fails the sniff test.

What do you do to reduce your water consumption?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Why do you find that you use more water in the winter? Warming baths? I think I'd expect it to be the other way round...

I don't put upper-body garments back into the wardrobe; if I'm hoping to get more wear out of them, they stay over the back of the chair after being taken off, so that I know they are no longer 'clean'. On the other hand, most of my trousers, for example, get washed once or twice a year if they get actually muddy, and I own a number of garments that are simply not washable at all (though in emergencies I'll bend a point and rub at spills with a wet cloth), and this hasn't really been a problem. Since they were all acquired second-hand some of them quite possibly haven't been washed in fifty years :-p

This is why one wears (and washes) underwear, in order to keep the non-washable garments away from direct bodily contact, or at least contact with body parts that tend to shed the most grease/sweat.

I probably mainly cut my water usage by simply not washing, or at least not washing any more often than I can be bothered to do :-p A quick swipe with a wet flannel usually seems to be adequate, though I don't wash my feet often enough (I mainly reckon that going barefoot indoors allows any sweat etc to wear off, but while they don't get terribly smelly they do get painful cracks between the toes from time to time, which indicates some kind of infection on the skin).

I probably have a bath/shower a couple of times a week, but since that involves taking all my clothes off and then drying myself all over, and in addition requires a minimum time commitment which I rarely seem to have when either getting up or going to bed (both of which tend to take place at the last possible moment), it isn't a routine activity, but one I undertake as a luxury when I happen to feel like it. So far as I'm aware I don't suffer from body odour as a result (I haven't had any complaints); the main part of me that gets noticeably smelly is the armpits if I sweat, and I endeavour to dress appropriately and adjust my layers of clothing so that I *don't* sweat any more than I can help, while wearing cotton clothes so that if I do sweat it gets absorbed rather than breeding bacteria. The aforementioned wet flannel generally deals adequately with a day's worth of perspiration :-p

The other part of me that gets noticeably dirty is my neck, and that tends to reduce the wearability of my shirts to two days at the maximum. Possibly other areas pick up grime between baths too, but that evidently rubs off evenly all over!

And there is my hair, of course, but I do take the trouble to wash that in the sink from time to time because greasy hair annoys me more than dusty feet :-p

I think the only polyester thing I have is a shower curtain. Wearing polyester is disgusting.
Water saving: I quit watering the lawn, installed drip irrigation on almost all my veg and flowers, almost never wash a garment til it is visibly dirty (usually really dirty), wear a lot of cotton (old cotton t-shirts make wonderful dish rags, if you keep them rinsed out they don't smell at all), and sleep on linen which I adore. I do put garments that have gotten really sweaty in the laundry and lots of things get wet with sweat in our summers.
California has mandated 1.23 gallon toilets. The old standard was 5 gallons. Shower heads have to have the flow restricted to 1.5 gallons per minute.
I have not yet diverted my grey water (everything but toilet water) to the outside, but it is on my list of things to do one of these days.
I never see a mention of drip irrigation in English or Scottish gardening programs so I presume few people use it in Britain. Drip really does save water by doing targeted watering at rate that the soil can absorb. Since it is done at ground, or just below ground level it reduced evaporative loss as well. On the other hand drip tubing is plastic.
A sad note for me is that Brit Box quit streaming Beachgrove Gardens and Landward in America. I can't find another American distributor for Beachgrove or Landward for the 2025 season. Grrrr.

Similar to all that's been said so far. Trying to pass on tips to friends and neighbours without seeming 'preachy'.

Yeah, I'm astonished at people washing things after one wear too. I don't put clothes-I-have-just-worn back in the wardrobe, I hang them over the end of my bed, so that I know that they've been worn and may need to be checked before wearing again. Except undies and socks, they always go in the laundry basket after one wear.

I treat my garden with benign neglect most of the time; unless we ARE in a drought (in which case, water is likely to be rationed anyway). I don't water my plants; if they live they live, if they die then that's just natural selection, hmmm?

I have not done any calculations as to which method of washing a human or washing dishes uses less water, and I'm not likely to, since it would be too difficult for me to change my routines for those.

I have a water meter, so I can see the quarterly consumption going up and down. I use more water in the summer - drinking gallons more, and therefore peeing more, and having showers to cool down in heatwaves.

Boggled by the idea that you wear something once and then wash it!
I only shower on days I'm leaving the house to interact with people (working in the office, going to the shops). On the days I'm working from home a 'cat wash' will do.

When I clean out the fish tank the dirty, nitrate and phosphate filled water is used to water a shrub in our carpark.

And I accidentally save water due to laziness - I don't do a load of washing until the pile gets huge and stares at me disapprovingly. Ditto washing the dishes. The kitchen floor gets mopped once every geological era!

I have always been very economical with water, it is very precious. Well, and very costly these days! We have always reduced watering from the hose until I cancelled it completely. I have two 220l plastic barrels and I catch rainwater from the roof. It is for my garden. And when the worst comes, I drag water in watering cans from the pond next to my house! Well, living alone, I do not spend much water; I do my laundry once a week (1 full washing machine). I shower only, no bath anymore.
But - there is one BIG difference from other places here in Spolí: we managed to keep the water sources and the whole water main in the hands of our local council! We own the water source and even sell it to other villages. There is a computer - controlled system, the water is of an excellent quality and taste straight from the well (80m deep). This is our treasure and we know it very well.

Drip irrigation is a good idea. I only wish there was a way to do that on our allotment. Until now, there's never been the need for it, but we're not used to having water shortages....

having said that, I think one major display garden near us may be using it. I'll have to look closer next time I visit.

You have really hot summers - I though you'd probably get sweatier than I do, especially as you do a lot of outdoor work.

We're reusing the water from washing the dishes on the garden. (we don't have a dishwasher)

Shame about Beechgrove.

Can you get Gardener's Question Time on the radio? (nothing like the same, but both relaxing and informative)

I know! It's so tricky. There's so much that people can do - so many low-hanging fruit - but doing it without offending people is a delicate touch.

If I'm wearing synthetic socks, they need washing more often, but cotton ones are good for several days and wool ones also.

Apparently the human wins out on dish-washing, but it isn't a massive win.

Short showers are basically the win on washing people. 4 minute max. There is an even more economical version which was widely used isometrically, which basically involves standing in a wide, shallow bowl of water and sponging yourself down.

'Shower at the gym' is cheating, because obviously I'm still consuming water. But my showers are brisk, and the water is turned off for soaping. Hmm. We have four large barrels attached to downpipes for use in watering the numerous plants (but I use a hose for the vegetables at the far end of the garden, which is an awful long way to carry watering cans). We don't have a kettle, but a boiling water tap, so cups of tea/coffee are always exactly a cupful. Always run dishwasher with full load, always run washing machine with full load, and overnight so they can take as long as they need and consume as little water and electricity as possible. Hmm. I'm not sure we do a lot to save water—used to use toilet hippos, but the house now is fitted with economy-flush toilets.

Especially, perhaps, when it's washing the car with a hose on full where my visceral inclination is to strangle them with their own hose! I have succeeded in getting one neighbour to reduce the frequency of washing but...
The thing that most angers me is the blithe ignoring of water issues by developers and government. We have absolutely unsustainable levels of building stuff going on round here, especially given that we are officially a semi-arid area and in water stress. We (activists) continue to ring the warning bell, using increasingly creative presentations, but it does feel Sisyphean at times.

Oh gosh, yes!

Our car has never been washed, and if we did, we'd use a bucket and sponge!

Developers will always try, but the government should know better than to allow it...

LOL! Yes, I often hang worn clothes over the back of the chair by the bed. Unless there's a shift in the weather, I wear the same thing for days on end.

Unfortunately my clothes tend to be a little too distinctive, not to say flamboyant, to get away with wearing the same thing for days on end; the garments are not interchangeable, and people really would notice ;-)

As a result I do try to leave at least a couple of days (during which people will probably presume I have washed them!) in between before attempting to wear the same thing again, which apart from any other considerations makes it more obvious if they have started to smell stale and need washing instead...

Yes, laziness saves a lot of water ;-)

The government, and the previous government, are actively encouraging it. Silicon Fen, OxCam Arc and all that...

We've got water butts as well, but we have to top them up from the tap on occasion, especially when we're growing tomatoes in the garden.

Spoli take very good care of their water!

Boiling water taps are interesting. They aren't quite as energy efficient as they claim, but they are very convenient.

Have a look at your water bill - that should help you work out how you compare with the national average.

How far down the garden are the veg and is it higher or lower than the bit where the water butts are?

Just wondering if you could use one barrel to siphon water to another. (Might be a brilliant idea, or might be too much hassle!)

It's showers that are the biggie. If you take less than 4 minutes then you're doing fairly well (I take 30 seconds at the gym. Hot sauna to cold shower!)

Wanna bet? People notice clothes a lot less than you think. Try and recall what your friends were wearing last time you met them.

Having said that, a couple of days off does no harm at all. Air drying can often remove smells on its own.

What kind of clothes do you prefer? I wonder if you share my taste....

I can't get Gardener's Question Time at all. It is undoubtedly because there are broadcast licenses that would have to be purchased by stations on this side of the pond. There many not be enough interest to support that. I'm hoping that some day we will be able to choose and pay for the programing that we want and not all the rest. Seems like Brit Box is moving more and more to just murder mysteries. I like the occasional one, but not a steady diet of them.
I just added more drip line to one of my very long garden beds. Here is what you need to know if you ever do decide to do drip: Drip works best if the drip line does not go up or down hill. If a line does go up or down the lowest emitters will pour out lots of water while the high ones will barely ooze. It is possible to get "balancing" emitters that will help with this problem, but they can only do so much. Pay attention to the number of emitters on any one line. Too many emitters will reduce the gallons per hour delivery rate and it can mean that the emitters at the end of the line don't get the same amount of water as the ones at the beginning. The manufacturer generally lists thes things. (I know these things because I've made every mistake in the book...) Currently I have quick connect fittings on my drip lines so it is quick and easy to move the hosepipe from one to the next. I'm using quick connect equipment from an American company called Eley Hose Reels which is pretty expensive but very solidly built with a 10 year warrantee. I love their 2 way faucet splitters which are really 3 way...

Can I help you strangle said neighbor?
California has mandated new buildings. I know one community in the SF Bay Area who said they did not have sufficient water resources to supply new housing and was told to build it anyway!!!

By all means!

And we can perform mutual strangling of politicians and developers on both sides of the pond.

Wanna bet? People notice clothes a lot less than you think. Try and recall what your friends were wearing last time you met them.

I dare say you're right and I'm being overly paranoid -- I don't remember the jeans-and-a-T-shirt brigade! I do remember the women who were wearing a bright orange patterned skirt and a pair of black contour-hugging cycling shorts respectively, but have no mental image of what they were wearing on their top halves at the time...

But I think people do look to see what I'm wearing every time I turn up, because they quite often remark on it. I used to get 'are you going on to a party?' on a regular basis, but I think it has dawned on everyone that I really do wear structured clothing, or at least clothing with buttons on, all the time, however old and shabby; I don't own a pair of jeans or trainers, and while I do own and very occasionally wear a polo-necked T-shirt, that is only because it came as a freebie with some very expensive waterproofs that I was purchasing about twenty years ago! Plain T-shirts or sweatshirts I never, ever wear; I like collars, thank you.

Having said that, a couple of days off does no harm at all. Air drying can often remove smells on its own.

Oh yes -- I once managed successfully to get the reek of sweat out of a velvet jacket that I'd had to wear at a thoroughly overheated concert, and which still smelt after being dry-cleaned, simply by means of hanging it up inside-out outdoors on the washing line for days on end. After all, if you think about it, rags blowing around in the hedgerow don't smell of body odour, any more than whitened bones on the hillside; the fabric may eventually become threadbare and rot away, but any loose organic material has long since been consumed by ambient bacteria or whatever. The jacket that had been seemingly ruined went on to give another ten years or so of service before the lining became too rotten to be patched up any further and the collar and cuffs wore bare... and that was of course a second-hand garment in the first place, so I have no idea how old it was when it finally succumbed!

I'm currently busy trying to get a musty smell out of some second-hand cycling shorts that began to emit a distinct odour the first time I wore them in earnest (probably why they were originally given away, as they are otherwise in very good condition compared to my current worn-out ones). Unfortunately I've never actually owned cycling shorts with a chamois lining, as opposed to an foam pad, so I don't know what to expect them to smell like when clean -- but mildew is definitely not right :-(

I put them through a 30-degree wash and hung them out to dry for a day, but though they dried out they still didn't smell right. I left them out for a full 24 hours, which didn't do the job, and have just rubbed and rinsed some ordinary bar soap through them thoroughly by hand (as opposed to merely swishing them around in warm water and a bit of washing-machine powder for 45 minutes), and they currently smell less musty; we'll see how it goes once they have dried out again.

Of course hanging things out in strong sunshine for hours on end may have a hygenic effect -- they specifically suggest 'ultraviolet light exposure' for Americans who put their cycling shorts in the tumble dryer -- but inherently shortens the lifespan of the fabric as well. My clothes all fade and eventually rip apart across the shoulders/armholes, which I think is partly the strain of wear, partly the corrosive effect of human sweat, and partly accumulated sun damage. Certainly the faded colour is due to gradual sun damage.

Try the Internet Archive. I've just discovered it has all kinds of old Radio 4 programmes, including Gardener's Question Time, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and probably far more!

Haven't yet searched for, but also try 'I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue' and 'Just a Minute' if you a fancy a bunch of very smart people playing very silly panel games.

Or 'In Our Time' for a programme that covers a different topic each week from science/arts/history and assumes it has an intelligent audience interested in hearing an in depth discussion with experts on a subject they may know little about. It stretches you, and never talks down to the audience. It's been running a very long time now.

https://archive.org/details/BBC_Radio_4_LW_20200103_150000?start=13

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Water use

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject