Over 95 per cent of people in Mayo have no idea how much water they use, despite using on average over 150 litres a day. That’s according to national research conducted by Ideal Standard International, a provider of design-driven bathroom solutions. The survey, which was conducted by Ideal Standard following World Water Day, found that some people in Mayo unwittingly waste excessive amounts of water doing everyday tasks, especially in the bathroom.
Seventy per cent of those surveyed use in excess of 201 litres a day on showering, brushing their teeth, and flushing the toilet alone.
Not surprisingly, showering accounts for the largest volumes of water used in the bathroom. Over 95 per cent of respondents take 10 minutes or longer in the shower each day, with 90 per cent letting the water run for an average of three to four minutes before getting in. If we take into account the fact that showers use a minimum of nine litres of water per minute, then over 95 per cent of all respondents who shower on a daily basis, use at least 117 litres of water per day showering alone.
Ideal Standard is urging people in Mayo to consider how much water they use each day and find easy ways to conserve this vital and precious resource in the bathroom. This can be achieved by making simple changes to the bathroom routine or by swapping guzzling taps, baths, or toilets for more water friendly alternatives.
Survey results show that 70 per cent of people in Mayo flush the toilet between six and seven times a day, using on average 48 litres of water per day. The average toilet uses eight litres per flush, with old style single flush toilets using as much as 13 litres of water per flush.
Households can reduce the amount of water they use by replacing old toilets with water-efficient dual-flush toilets, which use only six litres for a full flush and four litres with a reduced flush. Water use can also be reduced by the installation of waterless urinals, which are popular across Europe.
An easy and cost free way to reduce personal water consumption is by turning the tap off when brushing teeth. Most people in Mayo (95 per cent ) brush their teeth twice a day, as recommended, for an average of three to four minutes per brushing. Over 95 per cent of respondents leave the tap running, wasting six litres of water per minute, that’s at least 36 litres per day. By turning the tap off when brushing this can be reduced to just two litres per day. Fitting flow regulators to taps can also cut down on unnecessary water usage.
