About 400 billion gallons of water is used every day on Earth.
70% of all the water used in Sydney is from inside the home & over half of the water we use indoors is in the bathroom, making it a great place to start saving water.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth and yet despite this scarcity of water, Australians are among the highest consumers of water per capita in the world.
Whether you’re a home owner, leasing a property or even for the property developer implementing better routines and systems for water consumption to better manage our usage, is not that hard or need be a huge and ongoing expense. You can start with making a few small changes to your normal routine.
Head over Green Planet Plumbing for some valuable tips on how to best implement water saving systems.
We also offer tips in our rental handbooks on water consumption and believe that even if you make a start on one area at a time it will reduce your consumption more than you realise.
Kitchen
➡ did you know that 5-15% of households water use is in the kitchen?
➡ a dishwasher uses 2-50 litres of water per cycle.
➡ washing dishes by hand uses about 18 litres of water.
➡ a kitchen sink when completely full holds approximately 24 litres of water.
Tips:
➡ Do not let the water run while you wait for it to warm up or cool down. Place the plug in the sink first to collect all the water or try boiling water, use a kettle instead of running the water until it gets hot.
➡ You could also run any initial water into a container which can be poured onto the garden or into pot plants.
➡ Try filling your sink by half, just enough to cover your dishes when washing them.
➡ Save all your dishes until the evening and wash them in one go.
➡ Start by washing the least dirty dishes first and then dirtiest last.
➡ Instead of rinsing, scrape your dishes clean before stacking them in the dishwasher.
➡ Reuse the same drinking glass throughout the day to cut back on washing.
➡ Make sure you check the WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) rating next time you buy a dishwasher
Bathroom
➡ Approximately 35-50% of a households water use is used in the bathroom.
➡ Washing your hands can use up to 5 litres of water.
➡ The basin tap can use 15 litres a minute.
Tips:
➡ Use a timer to help your kids learn to be more conscious about how much water they’re using when they wash their face and clean their teeth.
➡ Check your toilet for leaks at least once a year because sometimes the leak can be silent.
➡ Don’t leave tap running while you are brushing your teeth or having a shave. If shaving, fill the sink partially for rinsing your razor or face
➡ While waiting for the shower to warm up, place a bucket in the shower to catch the water and pour into garden later
➡ Get your hands on a WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) rated water saving showerhead.
Garden
Tips:
➡ Let your lawn go dormant (brown) during the winter. Dormant grass only needs to be watered every three to four weeks, even less if it rains.
➡ Place rocks and mulch around the base of your plants to decrease evaporation.
➡ Keep lower branches on trees and shrubs and leave the leaves on the ground. This keeps the soil cooler and reduces evaporation.
➡ Connecting your gutter system to a rainwater tank is a great way to collect water.
➡ Your plants will look better and use less water if you choose varieties suited to your climate.
➡ Don’t water your plants or lawn on windy days because most of the water will blow away or evaporate
➡ Cut the bottom off recycled bottles and put some holes in the lid. Place them around your plants for an easy DIY ‘drip irrigation’ bottle garden!
Laundry & Cleaning
➡ Reuse your towels to cut back on loads of washing, whether you’re at home or a hotel.
➡ Only wash your clothes when you collect a full load.
➡ Wait until clothes, towels, and bedding are actually dirty before washing them.
➡ Make sure you check the WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) rating next time you buy a washing machine.
For more information on how you can make a difference with water consumption see the links below. It may sound cliché but every drop does count!
https://lovewater.sydney/use-water-wisely
https://lovewater.sydney/water-saving-products
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/questions/water-efficient
https://www.waternsw.com.au/water-quality/education/learn/using-less-water