Come Rain or Shine – Why using water wisely is important all-year round

South West Water is reminding customers of the importance of using water wisely all-year round following the warmest summer on record for the UK.

As the weather cools and more rainfall is expected over the autumn and winter months, water storage across the region is lower than usual for this time of year and everyone can play their part to help reservoirs refill in time for next summer.

To support customers with advice on how to make small changes that can add up to big savings around the house – also saving money for customers on a water meter – South West Water has launched a new campaign: Every Drop Counts – Come Rain or Shine.

As well as practical tips for saving water, the campaign supports customers with advice around water meters, checking for leaks and information on what South West Water is doing to help storage refill over the winter.

This includes driving down leakage and as part of that work last year the company repaired over 16,100 leaks, reducing leakage by over 10 million litres a day.

As well as fixing leaks on its own network, around 30% of water loss in the region comes from pipework that belongs to customers, and South West Water is working hard to help customers find these leaks and is supporting them with repairs.

Did you know?

• It takes about 8 litres to fill a washing-up bowl, but 9 litres every minute if you wash up under a running tap.
• A bath takes around 80 litres of water to fill – whereas a swift shower can use less than half as much.

Kim Williams, South West Water’s Head of Water Resources and Water Efficiency, said:

“Typically, in summer the region sees lower rainfall but higher demand for water. In the colder months, there’s more rain and less demand, so reservoirs can refill.

“A really hot, dry summer like the one we’ve just experienced puts more strain on water resources and unless there’s a very wet autumn and winter, we might not make up the shortfall. Using just a little less water in the colder months helps resources to recover, so we can start next summer with reservoirs as full as possible.”

Toilets are one of the biggest water users in the home with around 25% of a household’s daily water use getting flushed away. Simple steps like checking for leaks, using the right flushing type on dual flush toilets, and reducing the space in older cisterns to limit the amount of water used with every flush can all add up.

The average leaky loo could waste the same amount of water that an average household uses in a day, and an incentive that South West Water ran for 10,000 customers in Cornwall showed that 29% of households had a leaking toilet.

Top tips on saving water in your home

Washing-up tips

• Wash glasses and cleaner items first – this keeps the water fresher for longer
• Scrape, don’t rinse – scrape food waste into the bin instead of rinsing plates. It saves water and helps prevent blocked drains
• Use one mug or glass all day – there's no need for a fresh one every time
• Recyclables just need a quick rinse or wipe – they don’t have to be spotless.

Stay water-wise at the sink

• Fix drippy taps as soon as you spot them – even a slow drip can waste lots of water over time
• Know where your stop tap is – usually under the kitchen sink. If a pipe bursts, you’ll be able to turn the water off quickly.