Households urged to conserve water

New survey reveals half of people admit to wasting water

Over half of Irish households (53%) admit to wasting water, even though some eight in ten (78%) know it is important to take steps to conserve it.

That's according to research commissioned by Irish Water, released today to co-incide with the launch of the authority's new water conservation calculator.

The free tool is intended to assist households across the country to assess their water usage habits and find out how much water they are saving on a daily basis. It also offers useful and practical tips on how to reduce water usage and track progress.

The research also highlights that less than one in five respondents report actively conserving water in their homes. However, almost two in five (40%) reveal that they are interested in future planned water services initiatives.

This new Conservation Calculator was developed in response to this interest and will arm households nationwide to understand more readily how they use water in their home which can lead to better water conservation actions. It is available at www.water.ie/calculator

By answering just a few short questions about water usage habits, households of all sizes can calculate how much water they are currently saving, and what they could do to save even more. The average water use of one person is 133 litres per day, and results from the calculator are based on the water use of typical households of similar sizes.

Simple water saving tips include:

- Keep a jug of water in the fridge rather than letting the tap run cold and save six litres a day

- Make sure the tap is off while brushing teeth - this can save 84 litres of water a week

- Reduce shower time by 60 seconds - this save up to 120 litres of water every week

- 250 litres of water a week can be saved by fixing any leaking or dripping taps in the garden

- Ensure washing machines and dishwashers are full before running

Free fix programme

In addition, Irish Water is also continuing its First Fix Free programme, which helps households that may be using higher level of water than average. That could signal a potential leakage problem.

Together with the homeowner, the Irish Water team will investigate the cause of the leak and fix the issue to curtail any further potential leaks. This is in line with Irish Water’s collaborative approach to water conservation where all working together can safeguard our precious water resources now and for the future.

Speaking at the launch, Anthony Skeffington, Irish Water’s regional operations manager said: “As we move into the summer months it’s important to that we all consider our water usage and look at simple yet impactful ways to conserve water in the home. It can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, but even small changes can make a significant difference – and we can all play our part. Taking shorter showers, only running a washing machine and dishwasher with full loads, and even turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, are just some of the simple steps we can all take today to conserve water and safeguard our precious water resources.

“Our new calculator is designed for everyone to use – and school going children will, we think, particularly like examining their water usage at home. It offers practical advice on conserving water, to ensure we have a sustainable water supply for everyone in years to come. We are encouraging everyone to play their part with us and think water conservation."

Each day in Ireland, 1.7 billion litres of water travels through a network that includes 63,000km of pipes to supply treated drinking water to homes, businesses, hospitals, schools and farms nationwide. The treatment process is a lengthy and complex one with up to seven stages that can take up to three days to make raw water suitable to drink.

The Conservation Calculator is available at www.water.ie/calculator