Looking for simple ways to save water and reduce pressure on your drains? Small changes to your daily habits can protect your plumbing, cut your bills, and help the environment. Read on to discover why water conservation matters and how to make a difference at home.

You produce wastewater when carrying out numerous daily activities (scrubbing pans, doing the laundry, showering, etc.), and your drains have to carry it all away from your home. It’s all too easy to overwhelm them, which can lead to serious problems such as collapsed drains. That’s why you should pay attention to the amount of water you use (perhaps with the aid of a water calculator) and find ways to reduce it.

At Mega-Rod, we help homeowners across Bristol and Bath keep their drainage systems running smoothly. In this article, we explain why it’s so important to save water and share practical, easy-to-follow tips to help you get started.

The Driest Spring and a Risk of Drought

Water conservation is highly topical, as England has just had its driest spring since 1893. The Environment Agency says there’s ‘a medium risk’ of drought this summer and is urging everyone to ‘use water more wisely’. Every long shower, say, could take England closer to emergency measures such as water rationing.

‘Water is an essential resource, but it’s easy to waste it without realising the impact,’ emphasises Waterwise, a water-efficiency organisation. If you’ve read our article about the importance of effective wastewater drainage, you’ll know the average person in the Wessex Water area uses almost 140 litres of water daily – a staggering amount. Everyone can do their bit to save water, thereby protecting drains and much more.

Why Saving Water Matters

There are several compelling reasons to produce less wastewater:

1. Reduce the Pressure on Drains

Using less water helps you to keep your home safe and healthy. Excess wastewater can exert considerable pressure on drains and create/exacerbate structural weaknesses, especially if it contains drain blockers such as fat. If your drainage system is under strain, it may fail. Wastewater could be forced into your home, while drains could collapse, potentially leading to subsidence.

Homeowners with off-mains drainage systems should be particularly careful. For instance, large quantities of wastewater can make septic tanks overflow and choke drainage fields.

2. Save Money on Water Bills

As Homebuilding & Renovating magazine reports, water bills have increased by about 27% this year, so ‘it’s imperative to adopt water-saving measures’.

Plus, if your drains aren’t overloaded, you’re less likely to need to fund repairs. And if you have a septic tank, you should find yearly septic tank emptying is enough rather than requiring frequent, urgent callouts.

3. Reduce the Risk of Water Shortages

By saving water, you’re helping to protect water supplies and avoid shortages, especially during dry periods. Wessex Water’s reservoir levels ‘are below average for the time of year’, which highlights the need to use less water.

4. Protect Waterways against Pollution

Water-saving measures help to prevent pollution. If drains send less wastewater to the sewer system, there’s less chance of it being overwhelmed and releasing its hazardous contents into watercourses via sewer overflows (which are essentially emergency relief valves).

Ways to Save Water

You can make simple changes at home to reduce the amount of wastewater entering your drains:

Kitchen

• Add an aerator to your kitchen tap – this clever device combines water with air to reduce the flow by up to ten litres per minute without losing pressure.
• Use a one-cup kettle to avoid pouring away surplus boiled water.
• Wash vegetables in a bowl, not under a running tap, then pour the water on your garden.
• Scrape food debris into the bin instead of rinsing plates before washing them. You’ll conserve water and help to prevent blocked drains.
• Only use your dishwasher when it’s full – or use a small washing-up bowl instead of filling the sink with water.

Bathroom

• Check for leaks then ask a plumber to stop any water escaping. Do the same with plumbing elsewhere.
• Avoid keeping the tap on when brushing your teeth to save nine litres of water every minute.
• Take Bristol Water’s four-minute shower challenge – a timer will keep you on track.
• Put an expanding water displacement bag in your toilet cistern to save a couple of litres of water per flush.

Utility Room

• Use your washing machine just once per day to avoid producing unnecessary wastewater.
• Ask your water company to install a smart meter for real-time data that lets you easily monitor/reduce water usage.

Your Bristol and Bath Drain Maintenance Team

Need help maintaining your drains while you save water? Mega-Rod is trusted across Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas for expert drain cleaning, unblocking and maintenance. Call us today on 01225 422980 or email admin@mega-rod.co.uk for friendly advice or to book a service.