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How we can all conserve water

By working together to use only what we need in our homes and businesses, we can all contribute to ensuring a sustainable water supply for everyone.

Water Conservation Calculator

Water saving tips

Filter tips

Take a shower

Take a shorter shower

Tip: Take a shower instead of a bath to reduce water usage.

Drop the hose

Drop the hose

Tip: Use a rosehead watering can in the garden instead of a hose or sprinkler and aim for the roots.

Use a bucket and sponge

Use a bucket and sponge

Tip: If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose.

Take a shorter shower

Time your shower

Tip: Taking a shorter shower can save up to 10 litres of water a minute.

Use it twice

Use it twice

Tip: Use a basin in your sink when rinsing food and use it for watering plants.

If it's yellow, let it mellow

If it's yellow, let it mellow

Tip: Consider only flushing the toilet when you really need to.

Fix dripping taps

Fix dripping taps

Tip: Avoid using excess water at home by mending taps and running toilets.

Protect your soil

Protect your soil

Tip: Add a layer of plant material, like bark to your flower bed to prevent evaporation.

Turn off the tap

Turn off the tap

Tip: Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving.

Load 'em up

Load 'em up

Tip: Run your washing machine and dishwasher with full loads.

Keep chilling

Keep chilling

Tip: Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the cold tap.

Keep an eye on running water

Keep an eye on running water

Tip: Don't leave running taps and hosepipes unattended.

Limit any trough overflow

Limit any trough overflow

Tip: Adjust the ball valves in drinking troughs to lower the float or replace faulty parts. Drain and cover troughs in the winter to avoid frost damage.

Use your plate cooler

Use your plate cooler

Tip: If you own a dairy farm, divert clean plate cooler water to a tank and use it for parlour washing.

Butt seriously!

Butt seriously!

Tip: Install a water butt to harvest rainwater from your gutters. Use it to water your garden or wash your yard.

Dry-clean the yard

Dry-clean the yard

Tip: Use scrapers and brushes to remove solid waste from yards and pens before hosing.

Garden clever

Garden clever

Tip: Water your plants in the early morning or late evening. This saves water from evaporating and avoids your plants being scorched.

Choose dry condition plants

Choose dry condition plants

Tip: Choose plants with low water needs such as lavender or olive trees.

Lock in moisture

Lock in moisture

Tip: Add special gel beads to plant pots to keep roots hydrated.

Do not over water

Do not over water

Tip: Established plants do not need watering, unless in severe drought.

Plug holes in containers in dry weather

Plug holes in containers in dry weather

Tip: Stop water escaping when it's dry by plugging holes in plant containers.

Avoid watering the lawn

Avoid watering the lawn

Tip: Even if your lawn goes yellow in dry weather, it will recover quickly.

Check pipe work

Check pipe work

Tip: Check the ground above your pipes often for signs of leaking.

Tips to #ConserveWater
Reducing Leaks

Reducing leaks

Much of our drinking water is lost through leaks before it ever reaches your tap. We're working to conserve our water by reducing the high levels of leakage across the country.

Find out how

Reducing Leaks
How we use water

How do we each use 133 litres of water every day?

Toilet flushing, showering and bathing, teeth brushing, dishwashing, and garden watering. These are the everyday things we use water for, yet rarely think about. But our water resources are struggling to meet demand. That's why we are asking everyone to try and use only what they need.

This chart shows an approximate breakdown of water usage in a typical Irish house. It does not account for occasional water losses due to leaks or plumbing issues. Actual usage figures numbers can vary according to the water fittings being used and/or the behaviour of the occupants.

Data sources include: Marshallsay, Dean, 'Micro-components of water use in the home', Artesia Consulting, 3/11/2016. Fennell, Chris; Gill, Laurence; O'Connell, David, 'An assessment of the efficiency of water saving devices in Irish households', Trinity College Dublin, 2018.

 
Why water is precious

Water goes through a remarkable journey from cloud to glass

Cloud to glass

Drinking, cooking, washing, bathing - we use water in so many ways. The water we use starts as raw water in rivers and lakes. It undergoes a complex treatment process, with seven stages that takes up to three days, so we can enjoy clean, safe drinking water every day. Each day 1.7 billion litres of water travels through a network that includes 63,000km of pipes to supply the nation with treated drinking water.

Follow the journey from cloud to glass

Please share the message

Share the #ConserveWater message and let's use only what we need

Find out more about water conservation