Gardens and water conservation

Maintaining and planting new trees and shrubs and building ponds encourages biodiversity and enhances local wildlife habitats. Planting also helps reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the air. This is called carbon sequestration. Our Guidelines for front gardens recommend that a minimum of 50% of the area is given to planting. This helps to reduce flood risk and also creates a cooler, green environment.

Maintaining and planting new trees and shrubs and building ponds encourages biodiversity and enhances local wildlife habitats. Planting also helps reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the air. This is called carbon sequestration. Our Guidelines for front gardens recommend that a minimum of 50% of the area is given to planting. This helps to reduce flood risk and also creates a cooler, green environment.

The following tips could help you maintain your garden without resorting to using a hose and mains water:

Water conservation in the garden

Improve your soil to increase its water content

Increase shade to protect plants and reduce the need for watering

Install a water butt and re-use your kitchen or bathwater

Use a watering can rather than a hose and water in the morning

Don’t water your lawn as it will recover from a dry spell - leave the grass longer so that it doesn’t dry out so much

Plant drought resistant plants, and trees shrubs and hedges that don’t require watering

Reduce flood risk in gardens with planting and use permeable surfaces that allow rainwater dispersal without the need for mains drainage

Water conservation in the home

Install a water meter to keep track of what you are using

Reduce wastewater entering sewers, use ‘grey water’ on your garden. Install grey water recycling systems for flushing toilets etc

For new build bathrooms you can install a wastewater heat recovery system which extracts heat from your shower or bath

Install a dual flush toilet and low flow shower heads

Install a cistern displacement device (this can save as much as 5000 litres per year)

Fix dripping taps, toilets or washing machines as soon as you are aware

Take shorter showers and turn of the tap when brushing your teeth

Only run the dishwasher when it is full and try to use water in the kitchen more than once

Keep a jug of cold drinking water in the fridge to reduce running the tap