The wrong type of rain

Over the past six months a number of our articles have included references to flash floods and heavy rain in the Bristol area. We now see that rain has hit again with Portishead Lake overflowing from a combination of heavy rain and a problem with the sluice gate.

With the gate having been manually opened to allow water to drain away, staff at North Somerset Council took the opportunity to clean the lake. With scores of bottles, shopping trolleys, bike frames and road signs cleared from the lake bed, it is hoped that a new sluice gate will help the lake to continue to be enjoyed by local people; preferably not as a dumping ground for rubbish.

With all this talk of flash floods and heavy rain it is therefore perhaps surprising that Bristol water is warning of probable droughts this summer. Apparently last December in the Mendips had the third lowest rainfall in the last century and reservoir levels are only at 65%. The trouble is that whilst flash rain is good for causing floods, to fill up a reservoir requires steady rainfall over a prolonged period.

Bristol Water is planning to offer its consumers a range of free water saving devices and stresses that a wet spring could yet save the day. In addition, it is carefully managing its water abstraction policies to retain as much water as possible ready for the summer.

Part of the trouble is that we still use vast amounts of water in our homes and businesses. Whilst water is plentiful it becomes a throw away resource and unless someone is on a water meter it is easy to use without thinking. Small individual savings such as installing a variable flush toilet, having a quick shower rather than a bath and not leaving a tap running when cleaning teeth or washing food can soon mount up.

When it comes to cleaning our homes, we can also make some huge savings for very little effort. When washing our windows it is tempting to blast them with water and soap and then rinse with further volumes of water. Watch a professional window cleaner in action and he can clean the windows in an entire house using the water in a single bucket. For minor smears, keep a spray bottle filled with some water and vinegar or lemon juice. A quick spray and a wipe and the smear is gone.

For cleaning bath or shower, spray the sides with a cleaning product, leave for a short while and then wipe before a final quick rinse. Or again using a mix of water and vinegar or lemon juice will mean that you won’t even need the rinse. Those using a dishwasher tend to rinse plates before hand. This rinsing is often done under running water. As an alternative, rinse plates in a bowl filled with a few inches of water.

Let us hope for the right rain this spring so that we can enjoy a drought free summer. In the meantime, if everyone just followed one water saving measure it could make a lot of difference to us all.