Partnership to protect South Yorkshire water levels

Together, we’re encouraging voluntary and community groups to incorporate water saving or flooding into their funding bids.

Ideas include:

• Retaining water or slowing the travel of water down across land. This could be creating a small informal pond, a green roof on top of a car port, bin storage area, or building, or using permeable surfacing and water butts. This helps to increase flood resilience by reducing the amount and speed that water enters the catchments. It can additionally provide wildlife benefits and habitats, as well as increasing human wellbeing through visual amenity and contact with nature, and climate resilience through cooling.
• Increasing awareness and communication about water issues. E.g. Interpretation panels, posters at sinks, podcasts, door to door engagement through art and interpretation.
• Minimising water usage in projects. E.g. capturing and recycling grey water within systems, using less, minimising processes that use water.
• Reducing pollutants getting into rivers and the sea. E.g. detergents down the drain changed to wildlife friendly alternatives, (dishwasher soap, toilet cleaners, etc). Reducing pollutants on external surfaces.

Connected by Water has also issued a series of top tips to encourage water saving.

• Fix any leaks in taps or toilets – a leaky loo can waste 200-400 litres of water a day
• Turn off taps when you brush your teeth or don’t use any water at all. Dry brushing with toothpaste alone can be more effective than using water on your brush
• Cut down your shower time. Every minute uses around 15L of water, so every second you can cut down helps
• Leave your car dirty! Does it really need a wash?
• Observe the hosepipe ban – swap the hose for a watering can. Even better if you can leave these out to collect rain and use precious natural drops
• Invest in a water butt – nature’s free supply at your fingertips
• Add a layer of mulch to beds to lock in moisture, and choose drought-resistant plants such as lavender and verbena

Find out more about Connected by Water.