Thanks to a Sustainable Living course, busy mother-of-three Keryn Duff now understands the easy steps she can take to use water well.
‘For example, I now know that my old washing machine uses more than 150 litres per load, whereas some new machines only use about 60,’ she said. ‘I am looking at replacing mine this year and have already started investigating different brands.
‘I’m always telling the kids to “turn that tap off!” when they’re cleaning their teeth or washing their hands. I am careful about filling up the kettle only as much as I need, which saves power too.’
Keryn’s one-term evening course in Havelock North was coordinated by Sustainable Living New Zealand, with support from the Ministry for the Environment. The courses are run in 20 other centres – they cover water use, energy efficiency, waste reduction, shopping tips, travel, vegetable gardening and eco-building.
Keryn has introduced shorter showers for the family. She collects cold water from the shower in a bucket, before it runs hot, for later re-use in the garden – nearly a full bucket each time.
‘We also wash the car on the grass instead of the driveway, with a bucket and sponge instead of a hose. For the future I am looking at recycling systems for grey water, and also at getting a tank installed to collect rainwater off our new shed roof.’
ShareThis