How students can help World Water Week

This week is world water week, a symposium held in Sweden every year to look at global water issues. Here we shall look at what you can do to conserve and reuse water in your apartment. Not only will you help save water, your water bill will be lower.

Why bother?

Water is what allows all life to live. We need to look after this precious resource for the planet as a whole. This year especially have seen global temperatures rise and with that a lowering of levels in our reservoirs. If we can all save water and use it a little more wisely, then life will be easier for us all.

Top ways to save water

Firstly not using water, and collecting it for re-use.

• Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth
• Take fewer and shorter showers, 4 mins is the current advice. Some power showers use more water than a bath! Get a FREE shower timer here
• Pop a bucket in, while you run the shower to warm up, to collect water
• If its yellow, let it mellow. Only flush when there are solids (probably only for our ensuite apartments!) or use the dual flush in most of our apartments.
• Use a washing up bowl and then save the water to reuse
• Fix leaks quickly. Tell us if you have a leak in one of our apartments, so we can fix them
• Put a bucket under the leak to catch water whilst waiting for a fix
• If you have a bath, only fill to the level you need to wash. Each inch of bath water is 5 litres!
• Wait for a full load before using the dishwasher/washing machine
• Don’t pre-rinse crockery, just scrape and pop in the dishwasher
• Only fill the kettle to the level needed (this saves energy too)
• Keep drinking water cooled in the fridge to save on running the tap till cool.
• Keep the water after washing your veg and potatoes
• Try to cook in one pot to save water used for vegetables and potatoes
• Keep the water from your cooked veg, potatoes, or pasta

Top ways to reuse water

Ways to reuse water you have saved, this water is often called grey water.

• On your houseplants, they are not keen on tap water anyway
• On the garden, be careful what water you use on plants you are going to eat, like veg or herbs
• To wash clothes by hand
• To flush the toilet, just pour your grey water down the loo
• Dump ice cubes and frost from defrosting freezers onto the garden
• Clean your kitchen/bathroom floor with water from your shower/bath
• Washing your car with grey water.

Obviously, don't just do this water saving ideas f the week, but slowly incorporate them into your daily routine and you can save water and money for the rest of your life!

We do hope this tips will help you save water and help the planet and its environment.