| |
|
Contents
of this page |
| |
 |
Water efficiency - helping you save money and save the environment |
| |
 |
A guide to using water efficiently |
| |
|
Saving in the home |
| |
|
FREE pipe leak detection |
| |
|
How much water do you use? |
| |
|
Water meters |
| |
|
What are we doing? |
| |
|
Even more information |
| |
|
Top 10 tips to save water |
 Water efficiency – helping you save money and save the environment
Today, we all use more water than ever before.
Many of us take the luxuries of regular showers and flushing the toilet too much for granted, not to mention our labour saving but water guzzling household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers.
Whatever your reasons to save water - whether it’s to do your bit for the planet or save money off your bill - it makes sense to use water wisely.
Cambridge Water has compiled some practical tips on how you can make savings by minimising the water you use every day. For more details click here.
We’ve also teamed up with Save Water Save Money – one of the UK’s largest online retailers of specifically water efficient products – to offer our customers advice on how to save water and a selection of water saving products.
Alongside each product is a special guide – showing how many litres of water, and how much money you can expect to save over three years.
And because all of the money saving calculations are based on Cambridge Water data for an average sized household, the figures we quote should reflect the savings you can expect on your metered water bill.
For more details click here.
A guide to using water efficiently
All the water our customers use has been pumped from the
ground, cleaned, treated and piped to you. Every wasted drop has still gone
through the same expensive process, even the water in your toilet. Eventually
it all goes back into the ground or via the sewage system into the sea. But we
cannot go on using more and more as the supply is not unlimited. The rising
tide of wastage has to be stemmed and we can all do our bit. That doesn’t mean
we want you to be unhygienic – just careful with the precious resources you
use.
Here are some practical and easy tips on how you can help save the environment and the money in your pocket - by minimising the water you waste every day.
 Saving
in the home
The toilet
A third of all domestic water used goes down the toilet!
Fit a CISTERN DEVICE and save up to three litres every
time you flush.
Cisterns installed before 1993 use nine litres per flush
but can still be perfectly effective with six or seven. Our HIPPO water saving
device is easily fitted to reduce the capacity of the cistern.
Newer cisterns have seven-litre flushes, but can still
benefit from a one-litre HOG saving device, also easily fitted.
The latest toilets only use six litres and HIPPOS or HOGS
should not be in these cisterns
 For
more advice and to order your HIPPO or HOG direct from us free-of-charge, email
us on quality@cambridge-water.co.uk
or call 01223 706050.
The garden
Our area has one of the lowest rainfalls in the country
and many garden enthusiasts, so summertime always means a peak demand for
water. If you love to see a beautiful, green summer garden but don’t want to
spend hours wasting time and water, here are some tips.
-
Lawns and many other plants will survive without extra water. To see how and
which, visit our fascinating
Dry Weather Garden
experiment at the Cambridge Botanic Gardens for the best ideas.
-
Use water only when and where necessary. Group similar plants together so you
can water them all at once.
-
Only water in the cool of the evening to minimise waste through evaporation
-
Use water retaining granules in pots and tubs
-
Put potted plants under hanging baskets to catch the overspill
-
Put a layer of mulch (organic compost or proprietary non-organic material)
around your plants especially in the spring. This will retain moisture in the
soil and help to discourage weeds.
-
Use a water butt to collect water run-off from gutters.
For more tips and advice on how to save water in the garden and to view products and plants visit our Save Water Save Money website.
 IMPORTANT
NOTE
If you use a sprinkler or any other automatic watering
system, you must have a water meter fitted.
Running and dripping taps
A running tap wastes up to 10 litres of water every
minute! So don’t leave the tap running – especially when you are cleaning your
teeth.
Dripping taps waste up to 25 litres of water each day and
they are so easy to get repaired or even to do yourself
Washing Machines and Dishwashers
These really consume loads and loads of water! Only use
them when you have a full load or use the half load button.
When buying a new machine, choose a model that has the
distinctive water efficiency label.
Our Save Water Save Money website features the most up-to-date water efficient washing machines and dishwashers.
FREE pipe leak detection
Legally, each homeowner is the owner of the water supply
pipe serving the property. So you are responsible for the cost of repairing
leaks. The supply pipe runs from the boundary of the street, in which the main
is situated, into your property.
HOWEVER, we are determined to do everything we can to
reduce leakage rates throughout the system and so we will repair FREE OF CHARGE
the first leak on your pipe work – right up to the internal stop-tap. To call
us out, or for a copy of our leakage Code of Practice, email us on
quality@cambridge-water.co.uk or call 01223 706050.
Also see information in our section "Leak
detection service ".
How much water do you use?
On average, every person in the UK uses 150 litres of
water each day.
| |
90 litres
Every time you
run a bath |
45 litres
For a
5-minute shower |
110 litres
For a full load
in the washing machine |
45 litres
To run the
dishwasher |
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Use our water usage calculator to estimate your water
usage and costs.
Water meters
Many households in fact find themselves better off when
they install a water meter. We will supply and fit a meter for you FREE OF
CHARGE. Just call 01223 706050 for advice and ask for our Meter Options
brochure.
For more information, see our section on
water meters or
download the water meters brochure.
 To view PDF files, download the Adobe
Acrobat Reader.
What are we doing?
Every year we commit money, people and lots of our
resources to reducing wastage, especially through leakage.
-
Finding and repairing underground leaks both in our system and on customers
premises
-
Free meter fitting wherever practical.
-
Domestic tap washer replacement
Even more information
We have more interesting and practical information leaflets on all aspects of
water use, available free. We are happy to supply multiple copies for any
association or group, for example, a local gardening club. We will even send
along a senior member of our team as a speaker on water saving issues (free of
charge), if you are organising a meeting or event.
Related leaflets include:
Top 10 tips to save water
-
Report any leaks as soon as you can – especially if they are underground
Telephone 01223 706050 or email to info@cambridge-water.co.uk
-
Lag all pipes and tanks in your loft and insulate outside taps. Burst pipes are
messy and a completely avoidable waste and cost
-
Repair dripping taps and leaks in the home
-
Don’t leave taps running
-
Use a bucket or watering can to clean the car and water the garden
-
Showers use far less water than baths (except for power assisted showers)
-
Fit a water saving HIPPO or HOG in all your toilet cisterns (except in the
latest 6-litre toilets)
-
Run all your washing equipment only on full load or use the half load button
-
Use a water butt to save rainwater run-off and use it on the garden in the cool
of the evening
-
Use a mulch on your garden in the Spring to retain moisture in the soil.
|
In Your Community 
