Home surveys
Introduction
Our sister company Essex & Suffolk Water has very different water resource issues than our own. Rainfall levels are very different and water resources are a real issue. Essex & Suffolk Water have been running very hands on water efficiency projects since 2000 and has since contacted over 149,000 households. Undertaking the projects emphasises their commitment to promoting and enabling the wise use of water and has resulted in significant long term water savings thanks to the contribution of so many customers.
Following the launch of the first pilot home surveys in Chelmsford and Hartismere, a further project was undertaken between January and March 2000 in the Silver End and Rivenhall area in partnership with Braintree District Council. The home survey included a comprehensive survey of water using appliances in the home and garden, and the provision and fitting of water savings devices such as cistern displacement devices, tap re-washering, and water efficient shower heads. A similar home survey scheme was carried out in Burnham on Crouch between June and September 2000.
The home survey project was developed further and undertaken on a larger scale in the Southend and Hartismere areas during 2001. It was based on the successful projects at Silver End and Burnham on Crouch, and on models used in America. The customers were provided with a pack containing a guide to the survey process, a dripping tap flow gauge, a shower flow bag, a shower timer, a save-a-flush, a tap washer pack and a trigger hose gun along with the questionnaire. The aim was to promote water efficiency to customers and encourage them to undertake the survey themselves and in their own time, though assistance was available.
Similar projects on a larger scale were undertaken in the Southend area in 2002, in the Brentwood and Romford area in 2003/4 and in the Thurrock area in 2005. The projects were developed slightly each year in terms of the method of contacting customers and pack delivery.
Water eficiency home surveys - Southend 2001 and Southend 2002
Water efficiency home surveys - Brentwood and Romford 2003/4
Water efficiency home surveys - Thurrock 2005
DIY home surveys
Complete Your Own Home Survey
If you are interested in being more water efficient, it is easy to carry out your own home water survey.
You will need the following equipment:
- A measuring jug.
- A watch with a second hand.
- A bucket.
- A pen and paper.
Stop the drip
Check all of your taps, or those you think may be dripping, following the instructions below and then check the table to calculate how much water your dripping tap is wasting.
Ensure your taps are turned off fully and then hold the measuring jug underneath the tap for one minute.
Check the level on the measuring jug and the follow the simple calculation below to determine how much water is being lost each day.
Millimetres dripped in one minute x 60 (minutes) x 24 hours
Compare the figure to the consumption in the table below:
| Per day | Comments |
|---|---|
| 1 litre | Enough to make 2 pots of tea |
| 5 litres | Enough to fill 5 average kettles |
| 10 litres | Enough to fill 2 watering cans |
| 15 litres | Enough to flush an average toilet twice |
Alternatively, you can use the drip calculator on the ‘Water Wiser’ website at: http://www.awwa.org/advocacy/learn/conserve/dripcalc.cfm
If you have a dripping tap, it will need re-washering. If your taps are the conventional style with rubber washers, this should be relatively easy. Visit http://www.tapmagic.co.uk/ for a range of water saving tap inserts. However, some newer taps have a ceramic disc instead of a washer and you will need to contact your supplier for the appropriate parts.
Is your shower water efficient?
An average bath uses about 80 litres of water, whereas a shower uses between 30-50 litres depending on the type of shower and how long you shower for.
Use the steps below to calculate how much water is consumed in the shower.
1. Time how long you (and other people in your household!) take in the shower.
2. Calculate how much water is used per minute. Put the shower head in a bucket and turn on the shower to your normal flow rate for exactly 10 seconds. Turn the water off and carefully pour the water into a measuring jug to see how much water was used. Multiply this figure by 6 to calculate how much water is used per minute.
3. Multiply the time by the flow volume.
A flow rate of 10 litres per minute or lower is regarded as a water efficient shower. The table below illustrates different water usage.
|
Flow rate |
10 litres per minute |
10 litres per minute |
15 litres per minute | 15 litres per minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of time spent in shower | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 5 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Half as much as an average bath | Same water use as an average bath | Same water use as an average bath | Over twice the water used as an average bath |
Good practice tips:
Reduce the length of time in the shower.
Showerheads should be de-scaled to maintain performance.
If replacing your shower, look out for the most water efficient showerheads. Also, visit http://www.alchallis.com/ who supply water efficient shower appliances.
Try not to leave the shower running too long when reaching the desired temperature.
Power showers with their own pump generally use more water
Save as you flush with the ‘save-a-flush’!
Flushing the toilet uses a high percentage of the daily water used in the home. Although the latest models are designed to work with less water, the older types can use up to 9 litres per flush.
A save-a-flush bag is filled with crystals that expand to save one litre every time you flush. Installing a save-a-flush could save nearly 23 baths of water per person per year! You can request your free save-a-flush cistern device by clicking on the online link.
Once the save-a-flush has been fitted, the toilet should function as well as it did before. However, if you experience any problems, remove the save-a-flush immediately.