The following tips will help you to achieve this goal.
Small steps
Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth
A tap can discharge up to 18 litres of water per minute. That’s the equivalent of more than a bucket of water if you left the tap going while brushing your teeth for just one minute. Try using a glass of water to rinse and use the tap just when needed.
Put a plug in the sink when you wash or shave
A running tap can discharge up to 10 litres of water per minute - that’s the equivalent of one whole bucket!
Keep track of your shower time; try to shower for 5 minutes or less
Keeping track of your shower time can have a big impact on water use, even a low flow shower head can use about 35 litres of water per 5 minute shower.
Save water — put a brick in the toilet cistern and reduce its water capacity
Save water and
adjust your toilet to reduce the amount of water in the cistern.
Consider taking a shower instead of a bath
Short showers use less energy and water than baths. You can save even more by fitting a
low flow shower head.
Medium steps
If you can, install tap aerators to reduce water flow
Tap aerators can reduce the amount of water used while not reducing the pressure.
If you can, install a flow restrictor on your shower head
If you don’t want to change your shower head, fit a flow restrictor – these reduce water flow while still delivering a satisfying shower. They are available from plumbing suppliers for a few dollars and can significantly reduce the volume of water discharged.
Fix leaky toilet cisterns and taps in your home
A leaking cistern can waste up to 16,000 litres of water a year. Put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern between flushes to see whether it leaks into the bowl. Normally changing a washer fixes the problem, and you can do this easily yourself.
If you're changing your showerhead, consider installing a low-flow shower head
Installing a
low flow shower head can reduce water flow by nearly half, from 12 litres or more to seven litres a minute saving water and energy.
If you're replacing your toilet cistern, install one with a dual flush
Adjust your existing toilet and retrofit it with a 6 litre/3 litre dual flush cistern.
If you're installing a new toilet, choose a dual flush
When buying a new toilet look for the most water efficient one. A 6 litre/3 litre dual flush is good, a 4.5 litre/3 litre flush is even better. They cost from around $200 upwards.
