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10 tips to save water at home as drought puts Spain on red alert
Water restrictions loom large in Spain due to a lack of rain and scorching temperatures
Nobody who has been in Spain in recent years can have failed to notice that the weather is getting hotter in the summer and it is raining less in spring.
Meteorologists and climate scientists have warned of a long-term drought situation over the coming years, and the extreme lack of rain and rogue temperatures threaten to push the country into red alert each summer, and that can mean only one thing: water restrictions.
Faced with this situation, saving water at home has become more important than ever and a few minor tweaks could make a big difference.
“Many of the small actions that we carry out on a day-to-day basis are related to the use of water. Brushing our teeth, taking a shower or preparing a coffee maker are tasks that we carry out so unconsciously that we do not pay attention to the expense they entail or in the measures that we could apply to optimise them,” stressed Clare López-Wright, general director of Brita in Spain and Portugal.
These are the 10 simple changes you can make today to reduce water consumption:
- Check your home: The first thing that should be done is to check the facilities in your house to make sure everything is in perfect working condition. Even a small leak in a pipe or a drippy faucet can result in a big waste of water, and money, over time.
- Take a shower instead of a bath: A quick daily shower uses just 80 litres of water, compared to a bath, which consumes an enormous 150 litres on average.
- Save while you brush: Leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth or soaping up in the shower can reduce the average household water consumption from 40 litres to just three.
- Reduce waste: Most of us fill kettles and pots to the top when using the kitchen, with the excess going down the drain. Boiling only the amount of water we need will not only help us conserve, but also reduce the electricity bill.
- Save excess water: Use a container to collect excess water from the shower, or wash the dishes in a basin so the water can be saved for later use. This left-over water is ideal for hydrating the garden at the height of the summer.
- Filter your water: Simply using a filter at home for tap water greatly reduces the overexploitation of aquifers, the use of energy and the generation of waste.
- Use efficient appliances: Washing machines and dishwashers with an energy rating of A+ or higher guarantee a reduction in electricity and water consumption.
- Economise with your toilets: Most public bathrooms in Spain employ a dual flush system, but these can also be installed in the home. These cisterns mean we can use just the right amount of water needed each time we visit the toilet.
- Regulate your taps: installing a flow regulator on your faucets could halve the amount of water coming out of the tap, making savings much easier.
- Install a water deposit tank: A 1,000 litre, domestic water deposit with a pump on your property will guarantee a full supply all year round. Choose Camposol Heating & Maintenance to ensure you will never be without water or suffer low water pressure.
Image: Freepik
