Top tips for conserving water

With one million people facing severe water shortages it might be worth looking at smarter ways to use it

* Stop running the tap when you brush your teeth, wash or shave. This will save as much as 20 litres of water a time – if there are four people in the house and you all brush your teeth twice a day you will save almost 200 litres every day.

* A single flush of your toilet uses almost nine litres of water so only do it when absolutely necessary – you’ll be the best judge of when that is. Consider adding a brick to your toilet cistern. It will displace the water and reduce the amount it needs to get things moving.

* Keep a jug of water in the fridge so you don’t have to run a tap to make your drinking water cool enough.

* While baths are frowned upon in lean times, it does depend on the power of your shower and the length of time you spend in it. A typical bath uses about 150 litres of water while a six-minute shower will use about 60 litres.

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* Shower faster – you can get yourself clean in three minutes if you push yourself.

* Use a basin or a plug stop in the kitchen. You will use less water when washing dishes or vegetables.

* Run your dishwasher every second day and not until full.

* Check your outdoor taps and pipe leaks. Then fix the leaks.

Conor Pope

Conor Pope

Conor Pope is Consumer Affairs Correspondent, Pricewatch Editor and cohost of the In the News podcast