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With two summers behind us and more rain than sunshine, it seems hard to believe that in some
parts of the country, we have less water available per person than Sudan and Syria!
Waterwise, the leading authority on water efficiency in the UK, are focused on decreasing water consumption in the UK by 2010 and they believe the key to water efficiency is reducing waste, not restricting use.
According to Waterwise, the typical family uses about 7% of their water outdoors and simple changes for little or no expense could achieve significant water savings. See if you can make a difference in your garden.
- Your roof collects about 85,000 litres of rain each year which then just runs straight into the sewers. This could fill 450 water butts with free water: you could water your garden, your houseplants, or wash your car for free! Look out for a range of water butts at Armitage’s including a space saver at just £25.99 for 100ltrs or a large capacity butt made from recycled plastic at £29.99 for 200ltrs, which includes a child safe lid and a FREE rain diverter.
- Giving your plants' roots a good soaking once or twice a week in dry weather is much better than lightly watering them every day because most of that water just evaporates away. Plus watering in the morning or late in the evening will mean less water will evaporate from your garden and more will get to the roots, where you actually want it to go. Do remember, though, that new plantlings do need regular watering until they are established
- Fixing a dripping tap can save as much as 75 litres per day. A dripping tap wastes at least 5,500 litres of water per year, that’s enough to fill a paddling pool every week for the whole summer.
- Mulching is one of the greatest things you can do for your garden. Mulches such as pebbles, gravel and chipped bark or recycled rubber chippings (£6.99 for a 10kg bag in a choice of 5 colours) should be applied as a five to eight centimetre layer; but do avoid mulching too close to plant stems as this can lead to rotting in winter. Mulching will not only keep away water-loving weeds, but it will also keep the soil cool, decrease evaporation, and reduce soil compaction.
- To save water outside use a watering can or a hose pipe with a trigger nozzle instead of a sprinkler. Your hosepipe can use as much as 18 litres of water a minute. Sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 litres of water per hour-that's more than a family of four can use in a whole day.
- Why not try auto-watering? Mini auto-kits start at just £19.99 or you could consider a fully automatic system that will water your plants even while you are away on holiday. Look for the Aquapod in store from £49.99.
Armitage’s offer a range of products designed to preserve water. Call in store and talk to our experts about what’s available. Click here for more information about waterwise
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