Customers share water-saving advice

14th September 2018

Hundreds of South West Water customers have put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard to share their top water-saving tips.

Nearly 500 customers either posted a tip on the company’s Facebook page, filled in a water-saving pledge at events over the summer or wrote a letter to the company’s headquarters.

The winners of the £100 shopping voucher and 30 water butts are being contacted this week.

South West Water’s Head of Environment, Rob Scarrott, said: “Summer 2018 was the joint hottest on record – with 2006, 2003 and 1976 – and very dry, particularly from May to August.

“Overall reservoir storage is at a satisfactory level but we have been asking customers to use water wisely as the more water we all save now the more will be left for the rest of the year. Small changes in water use make a big difference when multiplied by the millions of people we serve.

“We want to thank all our customers for their support so far this year in helping save water. This helps them save money but also leaves more in the environment.

“It’s been great to see so many customers enthusiastically sharing their top water-saving tips. Congratulations to all our winners!”

Some of Rob’s personal favourite tips include:

• Soak indoor plants in a bucket once a week, the same water will do about eight. Use any leftover water on garden plants
• Use ice cubes to water plants in pots, containers or hanging baskets. As they melt they drip slowly into the soil and don’t run over the top or go straight through the soil
• Wash up once a day only then when cool, use the water on garden plants
• Put a bucket under your patio table – lots of water runs through the pole hole when it rains and you can use this on your garden
• Take a bottle of water when you walk your dogs and use any left over on indoor pot plants
• Reuse water from dehumidifiers on your garden

There is more information online about saving water in the garden and the home, which also saves money for customers on a meter. See our website for more details: www.southwestwater.co.uk/watersavingadvice    

Notes to editors

• Water is always a precious resource and we encourage our customers to use it wisely, whatever the weather. This helps to keep customer bills down and protects the environment.
• Our total reservoir storage is 55.5% compared to 73.3% at this time last year.
• Levels in our smaller, local reservoirs reflect the ongoing lack of rainfall and increased demand for water but we are closely monitoring the situation and supplementing these sources using our three largest, strategic reservoirs – Wimbleball, Roadford and Colliford. This is normal operating practice.
• Since 1996 (the last year the South West Water region had water restrictions), we have reduced leakage from the pipe network by 40% and achieved our leakage targets.
• Over 80% of domestic customers now have meters (compared with 8% in 1995). Customers who switch to a meter tend to use 15% less water as a result.
• We have invested heavily to secure supplies and been innovative in ways of increasing our reservoir storage, for example converting two former clay pits in Cornwall at Park and Stannon. We have also invested in pump storage schemes at Wimbleball and Colliford to improve resilience.