We read with interest about the worrying situation of low water supplies.

After coming to live in Cyprus quite a few years ago, my husband and I decided that we would ‘do our bit’ to help with saving water! (In England, we’d experienced water savings, despite having far more rainfall in the UK than in Cyprus.)

With savings in mind we put a bucket in each of our bathrooms so we could collect water that normally drained away before it became hot. Not exactly stylish, but we reckoned that it would save a few litres a year. The water could be used to occasionally flush the toilet, water potted plants, or water a garden.

We also put two plastic jugs of almost two litres in our kitchen. Again, the idea was to prevent “good” water going down the drain. Saved kitchen water can be used for washing vegetables and even boiled for washing floors, in addition to the uses that bathroom water can be put to.

We thought this was a common-sense approach to a common problem. Just think: if more than half the population took such water-saving steps, perhaps we would not have shortages across the island.

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