Clean water is an essential part of our life; for drinking, food preparation, sanitation, and many other activities. With climate change, it is expected that this precious commodity will become increasingly scarce in the future. Thus, it makes sense to use as little water as possible in your everyday life.
Thankfully, that’s not such a hard task with the right knowledge at hand. Follow these easy water saving tips and watch your quarterly usage plummet.
How to Save Water in the Kitchen
- Scrape excess food from your plates and use a dishwasher, rather than traditional elbow grease. These modern-day marvels actually use less water than the old method, especially when you do a full load.
- Install aerators on your taps. These plug like devices can reduce water flow without lowering pressure.
How to Save Water in the Bathroom
- Use low-pressure shower heads. These can save up to 10 liters a minute, compared to standard shower heads. While you’re at it, cut down on those long showers. You’ll save over 50 liters by taking a 5-minute shower rather than 15.
- Give the bath a miss. If taking a bath sounds like a better option, then guess again. The average tub takes over 130 liters to fill, an obscene amount compared to a 5-minute shower with a low-flow head (45 liters).
- Turn the taps off while not in use. Whether you’re brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing up, there’s no need to keep that tap running unnecessarily.
How to Save Water in the Toilet
- Get a dual flush low-flow toilet. This way, you can only use as much water as you need each flush.
- If it’s brown, flush it down. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. Within reason, of course.
- Install an adjustable flapper. The flapper is the rubber covering mechanism in your toilet tank. You could save as much as 10 liters per flush by installing a more eco-friendly model. Also, be prepared to change it once per year.
- Make sure your toilet isn’t leaking. A leaky toilet could waste a staggering 2,000 liters every single day. Put a dye tablet into the tank and monitor whether it leaks into the bowl. If so, get that fixed straight away.
- Install a fill cycle diverter. These cheap devices divert overflow back into the tank and can save up to 2 liters per flush.
How to Save Water in the Laundry
- Buy a water efficient washing machine. The top-end models use much less than the older ones.
- Wash full loads. You’re better off doing a full load than lots of little ones.
- Wash when necessary. Does that shirt smell or have any stains? If not, you could always just wear it again.
How to Save Water While Building or Maintaining a Home
- Insulate your pipes. Foam insulation reduces heat loss which lowers waste.
- Put your water heater where you need it most. The closer it is, the faster you’ll have hot water, thus the less water you’ll waste.
- Get a tankless hot water system. These can result in massive savings.
- Check your pipes for leaks. High-tech systems can find leaks without ripping up walls or floors. With early leak detection, you can prevent heavy repair costs, property damage, and other inconveniences.
How to Save Water in Your Garden
- Re-use your greywater. Catch water in the shower or kitchen to use in the garden.
- Invest in drip or soaker hoses. These release water slowly to minimize
- Use a timer. You’ll never forget to turn the hose off again.
- Plant native species. Tough Aussie flora requires a fraction of the water compared to species from overseas.
- Apply mulch in your garden. This helps trap in the water and reduces evaporation.
Save on Your Water Bill and Save the Environment
As you can see, there are a plethora of ways you can save water throughout the home. Follow these simple steps to knock a sizable chunk off your quarterly water bill and do your bit for the environment at the same time.
