Severn Trent is sharing tips with customers to help them keep their garden looking healthy during the summer while using less water.

From getting a water butt to capture rainfall, to covering the paddling pool at night so it can be reused the next day, there’s a range of simple measures that people can take to make sure they’re having fun in the sun without splashing out on their water use.  

The green fingered advice comes as today marks the start of Water Saving Week (15th to 19th May)

Sophie Evans-Young, Customer Demand Lead at Severn Trent said: “We’re a nation of gardeners, so it’s natural that we want our outdoor spaces to look great, particularly in the summer. However, things like climate change and our growing population put additional pressure on our water stocks, especially if we have another hot and dry summer like we did last year.  

“We’re exploring new water resources and we've invested £700 million into improving our water network in the last year alone, but we want to make sure there's plenty of water available for everyone to use for their essentials if we see another prolonged heatwave.  

“This means working with our customers to help them find small ways to save water at home, as all of these little changes can add up to make a big difference. We’ve not had to put a hosepipe ban in place in our region since 1995 and if we all work together, there’s no reason why we should need one this year either, even if we have another scorching summer!”

Some essential tips from Severn Trent:

 

Get yourself a water butt – it’s a great way to save water when it rains, and you can use the water for your garden when it’s dry

 

 

When watering plants, use a watering can rather than a hosepipe    

 

 

A sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in just one hour – which is more than a family of four would normally use in a whole day! – and thirsty lawns will quickly bounce back once it starts raining again        

 

 

Think about planting water efficient plants such as blanket flower (Gaillardia), sea holly (Eryngium amethystinum), Euphorbia or lavender…which is a win-win as the bees love it!

 

 

Clean your car with a bucket or with leftover water from the paddling pool, rather than a hosepipe or pressure washer, it’ll save loads of water and help keep your bills down    

 

 

Ask your children to water the plants with leftover water from their paddling pool – a fun activity to keep them entertained whilst also saving money and water   

 

 

If the dog needs a bath, think about using the water from the paddling pool

 

 

Water the plants earlier or later in the day when it’s cooler and the water is less likely to evaporate

 

Sophie continued: “Now is the perfect time to get the ball rolling by installing a water butt, which can capture the remaining spring showers.  Water butts are fantastic, as they store water for use on the garden and can also help to reduce surface run-off, which eases pressure on the sewer system.  

“Paddling pools are another brilliant source of reusable water – simply covering it overnight can keep grass and insects out so that the water can be used again the next day (and the kids don’t have to wait for it to refill), and when finished with, the water can be used to clean the car, or even wash the dog!”

By using less water around the home, customers could also see a reduction in their utility bills. By making a few small changes to the ways that they use water, an average family of four could see savings of up to £1,300 a year* by:  

 

Cutting daily shower times from 10 to 5 minutes - £700 a year

 

 

Switching off taps when brushing their teeth - £100 a year

 

 

Fixing a leaky toilet - £300 a year  

 

 

Changing to a low-flow shower head - £100 a year

 

 

Cutting out two dishwasher runs per week by only running with full loads - £75 a year

 

 

Cutting out two washing machine runs per week by only running with full loads - £50 a year

 

 

Dripping tap (2 drips/sec) - £15 a year

 

 

Constantly dripping taps - £90 a year

 

Customers may see an additional saving by switching to a water meter free of charge, as they only pay for what they use, which could generate savings vs a flat-rate bill.

Discounted water butts are available via the Severn Trent website by visiting stwater.co.uk and searching Get Water Fit.