In the House | In the Garden | On the Farm
Did you know
…Typical water use at home is about 25% in the bathroom, 25% in the kitchen and laundry, 30% for toilet flushing, and 20% outdoors – so there are water-saving opportunities everywhere!
Five R’s of smart water use
Reduce
Look for ways to use less water.
Repair
Fix leaks fast.
Retrofit
Put aerators or flow restrictor on older taps, install a flow restrictor on the showerhead or replace with an inexpensive low-flow model.
Replace
When upgrading or building, choose a water-efficient toilet and appliances.
Reuse
Catch rainwater or use water from sinks and the shower to irrigate the garden.
In the kitchen
Put water in the sink to wash fruits and veggies or for rinsing dishes. Running the tap for this can use 10 litres of water a minute.
Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator (or leave out on the counter). If it needs to be done quickly, use a microwave. Avoid running it under hot water.
Use only as much water as you need to cover vegetables when boiling them. Reuse the boiled water in soups and casseroles (this also adds extra nutrients).
Do full loads in the dishwasher – this saves water and power.
In the bathroom
Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth or shaving. Leaving the tap trickling with water wastes about five litres a minute.
Install an aerator or flow restrictor on sink or basin taps.
Install of a low-flow showerhead can save the average household 1,000 litres of water per week – and save energy costs, too.
Did you know? … Using the half-flush on the toilet when appropriate will save about 5,000 litres of water per person each year. To reduce water use in old, single-flush toilets, install an simple, inexpensive water-saving device.
To check for a leaky toilet, stick a small piece of toilet paper to the back of the bowl just above the water line. Check it in about 10 minutes. If it has slid into the bowl from water running down on it, you’ve got a leak! Get it repaired immediately. Little leaks add up to big losses over time.
Time your shower - it may be longer than you think. Twenty-five percent of water use at home is for showers and baths, so there can be big water savings here. Bribe your teenagers to shower less!
In the laundry
When washing clothes, run full loads in the washing machine or be sure to set controls for a partial load if you are doing less.
Quick Tips
For cool drinking water, fill a jug and keep it in the fridge. Running water to cool it down can waste 10 litres a minute.
When running the water to get it hot, collect it in a container, let it sit, then use it to water indoor plants or the garden.
Grey water (from the sink and bath) is great for in ground irrigation in the garden. Re-plumbing for this isn't that expensive. Check it out!
Promote shorter showers and shallower baths.
If the toilet leaks or a tap drips, fix it right away.
