91% of the water used by Islanders is supplied at least partially by Jersey Water. The average person in the UK directly uses 142 litres of water every day and only 14 litres are used for drinking or cooking.
Water is used in everything, from growing the food we eat to making the products we use.
- 35% of that is used for bathing or showering
- 30% for flushing the toilet
- 20% for laundry
- 10% for cooking/drinking
- 5% for cleaning
Jersey Water are providing a range of products for free to help you reduce your water wastage. You can see these items on Free Water Saving Devices.
Saving water at home
In the kitchen
To conserve water in the kitchen:
- do not pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. You need the dishes to be dirty as the enzymes in the detergent are what helps it to work effectively
- use a little bit of water to get your soap spongey and wet if washing dishes by hand
- plug the sink or get a tub to wash dishes in so you do not need to let the water run
- do not defrost your food by running cold water. Instead, defrost food in the refrigerator the day before or in the microwave
- steam your food. Once you've steamed your food you can let the water cool and reuse it to water plants
In the bathroom
Toilet flushing accounts for about a third of household water usage. You can reduce this by:
- installing a water displacement device (or hippo) in the cistern of a higher flush toilet. These reduce the amount of water used for each flush and are available for free from Jersey Water
- buying a new toilet choose a water saving, low-flush or dual-flush version
Showers
A shower uses 2 to 3 times less water than a bath. However, not all showers are water efficient. High volume power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes. If you cut your shower time down to the length of your favourite 4-minute song you can save nearly half this amount of water.
To save water, you can use a shower timer to reduce your time in the shower. 1 minute off your shower time for a family of 4 would save 12,000 litres of water a year. Shower timers are available for free from Jersey Water.
Jersey Water also provides a water flow regulator to your shower head. This can reduce the amount of water you use by 30% without reducing the performance of your shower. These can be ordered for free from Jersey water.
Taps and leaks
To stop water wastage and save money in the process you can:
- save the cold water that comes through before a tap runs hot, as well as the water used to wash vegetables and use it to water plants
- keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold
- turn off the taps when you're brushing your teeth or shaving. This can save approximately 2.35 megalitres if everyone in Jersey turns off the tap
- fit an aerator or spray ends to sink taps to reduce water consumption by up to 50%. These can be ordered for free from Jersey Water
A dripping tap can waste up to 15 litres of water a day. Water leaks mean you are paying for water you have not used. They can also cause a lot of damage to your property or possibly to neighbouring properties.
Saving water in the garden
Saving water in the garden can help:
- reduce your water bills
- cut the risk of drought orders and water restrictions
- help protect wildlife
A garden hose can use more water in an hour than a family of 4 uses in a day. Some simple ways of saving water in the garden include:
- using a watering can rather than a hose
- buying a water butt to collect rainwater which helps you save mains water and the energy used to treat it. Rainwater is also better for your plants as it won’t leave limescale
deposits or increase the alkalinity of soil
- speak to your local garden centre or Jersey Water for more advice
When you are watering your plants you can:
- leave plants and shrubs dry until they show signs of wilting. Watering too often can keep roots shallow and weaken plants
- weed regularly to make sure that you are watering your plants and not the weeds
- prioritise young plants and seedlings, as more established plants will survive longer periods without water
Lawns are usually the thirstiest part of a garden. To reduce the amount of water your lawn needs, you can:
- let the grass grow longer in dry spells to help keep moisture in the soil
- avoid using a sprinkler. A garden sprinkler uses approximately 1000 litres of water an hour. Setup your sprinklers so they're not spraying the pavement or driveway. This will reduce sources of drinking water, as polluting fertilisers and pesticides are washed into the sewer system
- infrequent soaks will be more effective than frequent sprinkling as they will encourage roots to search for water deeper in the ground
leave your lawn goes brown in dry weather, because it doesn’t mean it has died. It will usually recover when the rain returns
choose grass varieties that are better suited to dry conditions, like fescue grass or smooth-stalked meadow
As the climate changes, so will the plants that do well in your garden. Some traditional plants may struggle with less water.
You can keep your garden looking good by:
For more information go to Here are our top ten water-saving tips | WWF.
Saving water at work
It's important to develop habits of water conservation in the workplace. You can do this by:
- informing maintenance of any leaks you see. A leaky tap can waste up to 90 litres of water a month
- not treating the toilet as a bin, ensure all rubbish is placed into bins and not down the toilet as this will require more water
- commuting into work by bike or walking, it will help reduce your water consumption as less water is required
- turning off the air conditioner. Not only will you save energy, but also water. On an average day an air conditioning unit can train up to 45 litres of water
- making sure the office dishwasher is full before using it
- eating more plant-based foods at work. Vegetables have a considerably lower water footprint than meat
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