THAMES Water is planning to install water saving devices at 20,000 homes in the region over the next decade.

The device is being used in a bid to ensure that the region's water resources are used more efficiently.

The scheme is still in the planning stages and it is not known how many homes in Swindon will benefit.

But the move could reduce water consumption in each household by 10 per cent an average of 11,500 litres per property per year.

The plan involves fitting toilets with switches to control the volume of water used for each flush.

Many older properties are fitted with toilet cisterns that use more water than is needed to flush effectively. Around 120 litres of water in an average household goes down the pan. The new devices could cut this figure by a third and reduce metered customers' bills.

The company says it is becoming more and more important to use water wisely.

If the plan goes ahead, subject to approval by water regulator Ofwat, it could save 230 million litres a year once the programme is complete.

Alan Daw, water use studies manager at Thames Water, said: "Flushing the toilet is the biggest single use of water in the home so variable-flush switches offer the chance to make a very significant saving.

"Increasing pressure on water resources from low levels of rainfall and the regions growing population heighten the importance of using water wisely."