Drinking water supplies across the UK are under pressure as a result of the heat wave we are currently enjoying. On the Isles of Scilly this is even more critical as we have VERY limited supplies and must retain capacity to respond to surges in demand from incidents such as fires or travel disruption.
The Council of the Isles of Scilly is asking everyone – visitors, residents and businesses – to make every effort to conserve water by reducing the amount used. If everyone takes some small steps to reduce consumption we hope that we can avoid interruptions to the supply.
What can you do?
- Avoid non-essential washing of cars and boats.
- Resist the temptation to water lawns and gardens using the mains supply.
- Check for leaks, drips or trickling water and make sure repairs are made quickly.
- Re-use ‘grey water’ where you can – such as to water your garden.
- Run your washing machine and dishwasher with FULL loads. This will save money on your electricity bill too.
- Install a water butt to collect rainwater for your garden or allotment, or for washing your car. These are inexpensive and can be purchased locally or from online retailers.
- Don't leave the tap running when you brush your teeth.
- Use a save-a-flush bag in your toilet to reduce the amount of water used each time you flush. Available free of charge to everyone (see below).
- Take shorter showers.
- Every time you use drinking water for something, take moment to consider if you really need to.
The Council has free save-a-flush bags which reduce the amount of water used each time you flush the toilet – these are easy to install and available free of charge to everyone. We also have leaflets that can be displayed (eg in bathrooms, holiday lets and noticeboards) to help remind everyone of the importance of water conservation. These are available from the Library, Carn Gwaval Wellbeing Centre and the self Service Desk at the Town Hall. Alternatively contact the Infrastructure team by telephone 0300 1234 105 or email infrastructure@scilly.gov.uk.