Latest news with #waterconservation
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Yorkshire Water says hosepipe ban cut use by 10%
Water usage has decreased across Yorkshire by 10% since a hosepipe ban came into force earlier this month, the region's water company has said. The ban was introduced on 11 July after a period of very hot and dry weather across the country left reservoir stocks low. Yorkshire Water thanked customers for their efforts so far, and said in warm weather 70-80 million litres of water was saved each day. Despite this, the company said reservoir stocks were still well below the 77% average for this time of year and were currently at 47%. Yorkshire Water said smart meters had helped to identity properties with leaky pipework, and so far, half the customers who had been informed they had leaks had taken steps to fix them, saving 1.5 million litres per Kaye, the company's director of water, said: "A 10% reduction in domestic water use since restrictions were implemented is fantastic and testament to our customers who understand the need to put the hosepipes away and to save water where they can after an extremely dry 2025 so far."The ban applies to customers across much of Yorkshire, parts of North Lincolnshire and parts of Derbyshire, and is expected to remain until winter. It means people should not use hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. Mr Kaye added: "We have seen temperatures drop and patches of rainfall across the region in recent weeks, which both help to bring down demand for water, but reservoir levels are still falling as we continue to distribute over 1.2 billion litres of water every day. "We really appreciate the efforts of residential and business customers to do what they can to reduce water usage."Our teams are working around the clock to find and fix leaks, repairing more than 800 every week to keep water in supply."He said the restrictions remained in place but the company had since applied to the Environment Agency for drought permits and orders, to manage the water resources picture in the near and longer-term. The permits allow Yorkshire Water to temporarily draw more water from the River Wharfe when conditions allow, reducing pressure on reservoirs and help extend water supplies through summer. Mr Kaye said:"We will keep customers updated on water resources over the coming weeks and months and will remove the hosepipe restrictions as soon as we can." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look No
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Water conservation orders in place for parts of Nova Scotia
The recent hot, dry weather has resulted in a mandatory water conservation order in parts of Nova Scotia. The recent hot and dry weather has resulted in water conservation orders for parts of Nova Scotia. The Municipality of the County of Annapolis says reservoir levels in Margaretsville have reached 'critically low levels.' Mandatory water conservation began on Tuesday and the following activities are banned: watering of gardens, lawns, trees, etc. washing of vehicles or homes filling pools running sprinklers Officials say anyone found breaking the order could have their service disconnected. The order will remain in place until water levels return to normal. In a notice posted Monday, all residents of Stewiacke were asked to conserve water. The town says the St. Andrews River is at its lowest level since monitoring began 10 years are also being asked to: limit lawn watering with sprinklers to one day per week restrict watering of trees, shrubs, and vegetable gardens refrain from washing outdoor surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, and decks Heat warnings remain in effect A series of heat warnings remain in effect in Nova Scotia, except for Digby, Yarmouth, and Shelburne counties, as well as areas near the Atlantic and Fundy coasts. Environment Canada says daytime temperatures Wednesday could reach up to 31 degrees, though the humidex will make it feel more like 36. Conditions are expected to moderate Wednesday night and Thursday. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Irish Times
4 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
How to save water: The average Irish person uses 133 litres a day
How long do you spend in the shower? If it's more than eight minutes, that's above average. Reduce your time washing by just 60 seconds and you could save 15 litres of water with every shower. But why be bothered with saving water anyway? There's hardly a shortage in rainy Ireland, and isn't water free? Yes, water covers 71 per cent of the planet , but only 1 per cent is available to us as drinking water. We share this with animals and plants, as well as using it in our homes and businesses. Water isn't an unlimited resource, and getting clean, safe water to our taps is not without cost. READ MORE Uisce Éireann treats 1.7 billion litres of water for homes and businesses every day. The water comes from rivers, lakes, springs, wells and groundwater, but getting it to your sink or shower is harder than it looks. There are money and resources involved in sourcing, treating, storing and distributing water all the way to your home. Drinking water needs to meet European Drinking Water standards so that it's safe to drink. There's the cost of collecting and treating your wastewater, and to its return to the environment too. Yes, Ireland experiences high levels of annual rainfall, but much of the water is lost due to old water infrastructure, says Uisce Éireann. Summer is putting extra pressure on the system, it says. Water supplies in 12 counties officially entered 'drought status' earlier this month. Reduce your laundry by one cycle a week and you can save up to 13 litres of water. Photograph: Getty Images 'Really consider' your water usage, Uisce Éireann asks all of us. The average person in Ireland drinks, cooks, launders, showers, waters and flushes their way through 133 litres of water a day. If you think you're pretty careful about your usage, a handy online calculator from Uisce Éireann will tell you how much you are saving compared to others, and what you can do to save more. First, the kitchen. By only using your dishwasher or washing machine when fully loaded, you'll save 23 litres of water a week, says Uisce Éireann. Go a step further and reduce your laundry by one cycle a week and you can save up to 13 litres of water. Drop one dishwasher cycle a week and you can save up to 10 litres of water. How many of us run the tap to get colder drinking water? Chill your water in a jug in the fridge instead and you'll save a whopping six litres a day, that's 42 litres a week. There are savings to be made on water usage in the bathroom. Photograph: Getty Images Running the tap to wash fruit and vegetables wastes a lot of water too. Use a bowl of water instead, and you'll save 91 litres of water. When you're finished, you can use it to water your plants. There are savings to be made in the bathroom too. Reduce your shower time by 60 seconds and you can save over 100 litres in a week. You can also brush up on savings at the sink. Leave a tap running and it uses six litres of water a minute. Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth, for example, and you could save a whopping 84 litres of water a week. Fix a dripping tap and you'll save 150 litres of water. If you haven't got a dual full flush, half flush loo, think about installing a toilet cistern bag. Sitting in the cistern, this reduces the amount of available space there. When you flush, less water can travel back to the cistern. This could save up to 105 litres of water every week. A garden, if you have one, can get pretty parched this time of year. Use a watering can to douse your plants instead of a garden hose and you'll save an average of 25 litres of water a week. Running a hose for just one hour uses as much water as a family would typically need in an entire day, says Uisce Éireann. Better still, if you've got space, install a water butt to collect rainwater from your gutters. Using this to water your garden can save an average of 25 litres of water a week. By using only what we need, we can all play our part in conserving Ireland's resources.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
How to water your garden during a drought
Our gardens have been far from tranquil and relaxing during these intense periods of hot weather. Even in the shade, there can be little comfort found during the day, making gardens uncomfortable for us, let alone our plants. Watering can seem relentless, and with a heightened awareness of the scarcity of this resource – particularly due to the hosepipe bans that are in place in parts of the country – how do we water wisely to keep our plants healthy, while avoiding unnecessarily high water bills? Here's some advice to keep in mind. Greenhouses The greenhouse is one of the most difficult parts of your garden to manage during the high summer, requiring regular attention. The past few weekends have seen the greenhouses at West Dean reach over 40C, making even the cactus squint. In high summer, if plants are grown in containers, they should if possible be moved out of these hot houses into a shady part of the garden, to prevent them from drying out. If plants are to be kept in your greenhouse, then water first thing in the morning, and saturate the roots to hydrate them for the day ahead. A second watering during the early evening will help to reinvigorate your plant to avoid unnecessary stress, as temperatures remain high into the evening. Avoid watering your tomatoes in the evening, however, as damp foliage at night can cause perfect conditions for blight. Fruiting crops such as aubergines, tomatoes and peppers dislike fluctuating moisture levels as it can affect the development of the fruit; more consistent moisture level at the root will produce healthier plants and fruit. Cooling the temperatures down in your greenhouse can be achieved by painting a shading product onto the outside of the glass, which will reduce the amount of heat and light that enters the structure, resulting in the plants lasting longer between watering. Heat stress Plants can wilt from heat stress in the summer due to the warm temperatures, but can be moist at the root. Use your finger, and insert it into the root ball to detect any moisture levels. On hot days, if some of your plants are wilting, yet there is moisture at the root, they will soon recover when temperatures cool. Avoid adding more moisture to the root ball if it is saturated already, as extra watering will only cause more stress to the plant, and will potentially kill it. Grouping pots Grouping pots together will help to make watering more time efficient, with the extra humidity caused by dense foliage helping plants through tough times. During spells of particularly hot weather, move pots away from their sun-baked spots to areas in the shade, to help plants survive these difficult times. These periods of intense heat will damage most plants, but once the worst is over, it can be business as usual, and you can return them to their original spot. Acers in pots are especially vulnerable and should be protected. The damage comes from two fronts: scorched foliage by the sun and drying winds, coupled with high temperatures within the pot, causing root damage. Acers in pots are best placed in a sheltered, shady spot in the garden, and not allowed to dry out during the summer. Group plants with similar requirements together to help with your watering routine, and to avoid accidentally watering plants that don't require it; succulents and Mediterranean herbs will require less water than bedding plants, for instance, so group the pots of thirsty plants together. Top-dressing your containers with bark or gravel that is several centimetres deep, will also slow down evaporation; water well before applying the mulch. For large containers that cannot be moved into the shade, try draping an old net curtain or horticultural fleece over the plant, which will filter the light and reduce evaporation during times of excessive heat. How to water When it comes to a watering technique, most of the water is required at the root, not all over the leaves. A watering can is an efficient way to water your plants, as the amount of water that you apply can be easily controlled. Watering with a hosepipe – where it is allowed – can save time, but it is harder to gauge how much water you are applying. You'll be surprised how much water is given to a plant by just a few seconds from a hosepipe. To understand how much water you are giving your plant through a hosepipe, get a feel for how long you water the plant, and then hold that hosepipe over a bucket for the same amount of time. The amount of water that you are giving your plant will be visible within the bucket (you may be surprised by the high volume of water you are applying). Moreover, most of this water will drain out of the base of the pot and be wasted. Containers can be placed in a saucer, which will act as a reservoir to be utilised by the plants during hot spells. Automatic systems Irrigation techniques cover a vast spectrum: from an upside-down plastic drinks bottle with the bottom removed and filled with water as a reservoir, right the way through to soaker hoses on a timer, or a remotely monitored watering system controlled by an app. The most effective and efficient way to irrigate your plants is through a drip irrigation system, which pumps water through pipework to nozzles that are inserted into a root ball. This delivers water gradually, to meet the plant's needs with no wastage. Ultimately, there are pros and cons for automated systems, and they suit some people more than others. The level of sophistication that is delivered with these systems is also wide-ranging, as is the budget required to purchase them. I discovered that a solar-powered system that drew water from a recycled bottle from a water dispenser (the ones you find in an office), worked incredibly well and cost less than £50. Lawns In all honesty, it's very hard to maintain grass without copious amounts of water during prolonged periods of hot and dry weather. Tougher grasses will recover in the main, but finer lawns may suffer. Weeds tend to be more resilient than turf, with deeper roots, so they can make your lawn look untidy. Simply mow the tops off, avoiding damaging the grass by cutting with a higher-set blade. Scarify in the autumn to remove thatch and promote a more robust turf, or consider leaving some areas to grow long. Well-kept lawns are becoming increasingly hard to maintain and justify in such conditions; it's not what everyone likes to hear, but I'm afraid it's a harsh reality.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Water restrictions easing in Carleton Place, Ont.
The Town of Carleton Place has lifted some of its restrictions on water use. After more than a week of residents and businesses being asked not to water lawns and gardens and limit other non-essential uses, the town said Friday it was easing some of those demands, while still asking people to conserve water. 'The demand at the water treatment plant has decreased to the Yellow – Conserve level, which indicates that water usage is higher than normal, but not at critical levels. Please continue to use our water wisely and conserve it where possible,' the town said in an update Friday morning. The water level has been in the Red – Limit status since July 15, at the height of a lengthy heatwave in the region. While no formal bans were put in place, the town asked residents to refrain from using sprinklers for lawns and gardens and to not wash their cars outdoors. Under the Yellow – Conserve level, there are no specific demands, but the town suggests people still try to avoid unnecessary watering, such as on pavement, and to water lawns and gardens when the sun is low to minimize evaporation. Currently, lawn watering is only permitted between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Starting Aug. 1, residents will also be allowed to water lawns between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Other suggestions to conserve water include choosing drought resistant plants and trees for yards and gardens, mulching to help retain moisture, and setting the lawnmower higher to avoid drying out the grass. 'Consider harvesting water with rain barrels to use in planters and in the garden,' the town says. Carleton Place has a rain barrel rebate program, offering $40 back on the purchase of a rain barrel or composter. After purchasing the rain barrel and/or composter, residents can complete and submit the rebate form located on the town's website to apply for the rebate. Mayor Toby Randell said earlier this month work is underway to increase the size and scope of both water and wastewater plants to keep up with the town's growth. 'Even with this increase we would still potentially have bans in the summer due to our license with the province to draw water out of the Mississippi,' he said.
