Water saving tips
Guess how much water the average Australian household uses in a year?
The answer depends a lot on where the household lives. In some places it is 150,000 litres (enough to fill three backyard swimming pools).
In other places it can be up to 300,000 litres (enough to fill six backyard swimming pools).
As a rough guide, the average person uses about 200 litres per day. Five to ten litres is used for basic survival such as for drinking and food preparation. The other 190 litres is used for washing (showers, dishes, clothes, toilets) and the garden.
Thinking carefully about how you use water is a good place to start. Some places in Australia have cut personal tap water use to as low as 130 litres per day.
Saving water is easy. Just a few changes to how your family uses water can make a big difference. Here is a list of simple tips to help save water. Discuss them with your family and see how many you can follow!
For a printer-friendly version, download the Water Saving Tips as a PDF.
Laundry
Washing machines are major users of water. Between 15 and 20 per cent of all water consumed in the home is used in the laundry.
When buying a washing machine, look for the ‘Star’ ratings which indicate good water efficiency – the more Stars the better.
Consider buying a front loading machine. They generally use less water than top loaders.
Use the load selector on your washing machine if possible, otherwise wash only full loads.
Kitchen
Of all water consumed in the home, about 10 per cent is used in the kitchen.
When washing dishes by hand, rinse in a plugged sink instead of under a running tap. This should also be done when washing fruit and vegetables.
Only use the dishwasher when it is full. Even a dishwasher with a low water use rating can use the equivalent of two sinks of water per wash.
Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running the tap until the water is cool enough to drink is wasteful.
Bathroom
The bathroom and toilet are water consumption hot spots. Of all water consumed in the home, about 40 per cent is used in the bathroom and toilet.
Don’t leave the tap running when brushing your teeth.
Use a cup of water to rinse your mouth while brushing your teeth instead of keeping the water running.
Don’t fill the bath tub – only use as much water as you need.
Collect water from the bath after washing to use in the garden.
Take shorter showers and turn water off when soaping up.
Consider installing a three-star rated showerhead, they use only 9 litres of water per minute, while old style showerheads use 15 –20 litres per minute. If you shower for six minutes, a water efficient showerhead can save up to 50 litres of water for each shower, or up to 20,000 litres of water per person per year.
Toilet
The toilet is a big user of water in the home, with anything from 3 to 11 litres needed for every half or full flush.
Use the half flush when possible and save up to four buckets of water per day.
A leaking toilet can waste up to 60,000 litres of water in a year. Check for leaks by adding a few drops of food colouring to the cistern. If colour appears in the bowl within half an hour, it’s time to call a plumber.
Rainwater Collection
If the 5 million homes connected to mains water around Australia each had a 1,000 litre water tank, 5 billion litres of water would not have to be taken from the environment every year.
Rainwater collection reduces the load on stormwater systems as roof run-off is not flushed into the drains.
Connect your rainwater tank to the house and use for toilet flushing, as well as in the laundry.
Collecting rainwater allows you to be prepared for times of low rainfall and water restrictions so you can still maintain your garden.
Using rainwater can reduce your water bills, as rainwater is free. You may be eligible for a rebate on rainwater products from your local water authority.
The Garden
Watering the garden accounts for up to half of a household’s water use. There is more to saving water in the garden than simply limiting your watering.
Before buying plants, find out which ones best suit the climate and soil in your area.
Group plants with similar watering needs together.
Apply a layer of mulch around plants to reduce water evaporation by up to 70%.
Water the garden early in the morning or in the evening to reduce water loss through evaporation.
Water the roots and soil around the plants rather than spraying the leaves and flowers.
Use a broom or vacuum blower rather than a hose to clean paths and driveways.
Use trigger operated nozzles and check for leaks in hoses and taps regularly.
A swimming pool cover will reduce evaporation and the need to top up your pool. Without one, more than half the water in your pool can evaporate over a year.