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In the Home
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1. |
Turn off the water while washing your hands and face, brushing your teeth, shaving etc. The water simply goes down the drain and is wasted. Turn it back on again when you are ready to rinse
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2. |
Don’t overfill the kettle, boil only the water you need at that time. |
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3 |
Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load – you waste both water and energy when the machine is not full
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4 |
Place a brick or empty soft drink bottle in the cistern of your toilet. This helps to reduce the amount of water you use each time to flush |
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Think before you throw water down the drain. For example, water you’ve cooked with, and water you’ve used to soak or steep a saucepan, can be used to water plants (the water should be cool)
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You know already that it uses much less water to have a short shower than a full bath. If you have a bath, only half-fill it
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Fix dripping or leaking taps / faucets. You could lose up to 90 litres a week – this will cost far more than the cost of a new washer. (See the Water Menu for a DIY quick fix)
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Check your home for leaks. If your home has a water meter, then read it, and then don’t use any water for about 2 hours (or overnight). If you go back and the meter reads exactly the same, you’re in good shape. If not, you have a leak. Get it fixed as soon as possible to save both money and water
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Keep a jug / pitcher of water in your fridge to use for drinking. Many people prefer colder water, and it means all the water goes into you not down the drain. |
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When you rinse fruits and vegetables, and/or dishes, save the water, and use it to water houseplants. |
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Outside
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1. |
.Use a bucket of water and a broom rather than a water-guzzling hose to wash down your patio / driveway / balcony. The same for washing your car. If you do use a hose, buy a shut-off nozzle for it, so the water isn’t constantly running |
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2. |
Buy and place a water butt or tank outside your home. Use the rainwater it collects to water your garden, instead of using piped water (see the Rainwater Harvesting section under the Water Menu).
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Place mulch (grass clippings, bark, composted material) to cover the exposed soil in your flower beds. This will reduce water lost to evaporation, so you won’t have to water your garden as often |
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When it’s hot, try not to use a sprinkler – sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four would use in a day. Water your garden in the morning when the temperature is lower and there will be less evaporation |
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Make sure your sprinkler only waters your lawn and garden, not the street or pavement as well! |
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Use sprinklers for large areas of grass, but water smaller areas by hand to avoid waste. |
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Limit the amont of lawn, as it's very thirsty! Replace with local shrubs and ground covers - they'll need much less water. |
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Water your plants thoroughly but less often. This will encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance. |
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Group plants with the same watering needs together, to avoid over watering some and under-watering others. |
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Set a timer when watering your lawn so you remember when to stop. |
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