South West Water, a water utility serving the South West region of the United Kingdom, has distributed over 100,000 free water-saving devices to customers and businesses as part of its "Save Every Drop" campaign. The initiative aims to reduce water usage and protect regional water supplies amidst increasing demand and erratic weather patterns. The campaign highlights simple behavioral changes, such as turning off the tap while brushing teeth and taking shorter showers, while also providing tangible tools to aid in conservation. The devices are offered at no cost to eligible recipients, with a focus on supporting customers, businesses, and tourists in the South West to cut their water usage.
The free devices available include shower regulators and timers, bufaloo strips, and leaky loo detectors. These items are designed to help users monitor and reduce water consumption in everyday activities. For garden water conservation, South West Water has provided over 25,000 water butts in 100-litre and 200-litre capacities. These butts collectively can store over 3.8 million litres of water when full, enabling garden watering without the use of a hosepipe. The distribution of these devices is part of a broader effort to address water resource pressures, which have been exacerbated by lower-than-average rainfall in the region. South West Water has extended a hosepipe ban to parts of Devon, following its initial implementation in Cornwall and North Devon, urging all parties to reduce non-essential water usage.
Eligibility for the free water-saving devices is tied to being a customer or business within the South West Water service area. The company is actively working with tourists and businesses across the region to support them in recognizing their role in protecting water supplies and the local environment. The initiative also extends to helping customers and businesses detect leaks on their private properties, which account for approximately 30% of reported leaks in the region. South West Water assists in identifying these leaks and will fix them at no charge, addressing a significant source of water loss. This service is crucial as private supply leaks contribute substantially to regional water waste.
To obtain the free devices, interested parties are directed to visit the campaign's online resource for top tips on saving water and to place orders for the devices. The process involves accessing the dedicated page where details on the available devices and ordering methods are provided. The campaign emphasizes that these ordinary steps can have an extraordinary impact on reducing daily demand, cutting bills for customers on a water meter, and helping to protect the natural environment. The availability of these freebies is a direct response to the need for sustainable water management in the face of climate variability and increased demand.
The context provided does not specify the exact webpage URL for ordering the devices, but it references a visit to "our water" for further information. The campaign is framed as an ongoing support mechanism for customers, businesses, and tourists, led by South West Water's Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Laura Flowerdew. The company acknowledges the immense pressure on water resources over the past year and thanks the community for their efforts in saving water. The free device program is a key component of the broader "Save Every Drop" campaign, which continues to offer support for reducing water usage across the region.
It is important to note that the provided source material is specific to the South West region of the United Kingdom and a U.S.-based water advocacy group. The South West Water free device program is not available to U.S. consumers, as it is limited to the utility's service area in the UK. The U.S.-based Southwest Water Advocates Network is a coalition focused on promoting responsible water use and advocating for water policies in the Southwestern United States, but it does not offer free water-saving devices or samples as part of its described activities. Therefore, the information on free devices is solely relevant to UK residents and businesses within the South West Water service area.