SES Water provides free water refills at the Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show

Around 30,000 people – and their furry friends – were treated to free drinking water refills at last weekend’s Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show to keep crowds hydrated while reducing the need for single use plastics.

This traditional annual show brings rural communities of Kent, Surrey and Sussex together to showcase and celebrate farming, rural life and the finest food and drink from across the counties and beyond.

SES Water’s Quenchinator provided around 6,000 litres of drinking water over the event, while its teams provided locals with free water-saving devices and ran a competition to give away eight water butts to help save water in the garden.

To be in with a chance of winning, entrants had to guess how many litres of water on average per day one person uses, raising awareness of how much water gets used every day, and how small steps in the home and garden can help save water and ease pressure on water resources.

SES Water’s top tips for saving water at home:

• Turning the tap off when brushing your teeth or shaving saves up to six litres every minute
• If you have a dual flush toilet, use the small flush when possible and check if the cistern is leaking down the back of the pan between flushes – this wastes on average 400 litres a day
• Take a four-minute shower rather than filling up the bath as baths use around 100 litres of water
• Make sure washing machines and dishwashers run on a full load.
• Fix dripping taps – usually a new washer is all you’ll need
• Use the plug or a bowl to wash dishes or vegetables so you don’t need to leave the tap running
  

Kristy Poulton, SES Water's Event Organiser, said:

“We’re really pleased to have been able to meet so many of our customers and support such a fantastic local event. Our free refills are a great way for everyone to stay hydrated in hot weather, save families money when getting water at the event and help people to do their bit to reduce single use plastic.”

Judy Whittaker from the Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show said:

“We’re so lucky to have a local water company that’s happy to reach out into the community and support events like ours. The Quenchinator was a really visible, fun way to keep everyone hydrated over such a warm weekend. Using water responsibly is something we’re very keen to promote and we’re really pleased that our event could be a platform for SES Water to help share ideas with our visitors.”

For more top tips on how you can save water at home and in the garden, visit Saving water.