21 Tips for Saving Water this Summer

Much of Australia is suffering from drought. Water has become our most precious resource in many places. So, unless you happen to have your own underground well, now is the time to think about ways in which we can all save on water use this summer.

We have listed some of the most basic and most effective tips on how you can save water in your daily life:

Indoors:

1: Fix that dripping tap: A dripping tap can easily waste 15 litres of water a day or more, this adds up to thousands of litres of water a year.

2: Where possible use energy-efficient products: Shower Head, Toilet, Dish Washer, Washing Machine, etc

Bathroom:

3: Take shorter showers: Having a shower can use anywhere up to 20+ litres of water each minute. There are many energy-efficient shower heads in the market, consider getting an aerated shower head, which combines water and air, or inserting a regulator in your shower

4: Turn off the water when shampooing and conditioning your hair in the shower as this will save dozens of litres of water each time you shower.

5: Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. This can save up to 7 litres of water a minute.

6: Shaving: The best way to shave is after the shower, where the warm water and steam will soften your skin and hair. Fill the sink with water so that you can rinse the razor after each stroke.

7: Converting your old flush toilet to a dual-flush toilet. A dual-flush toilet uses less water to flush liquid waste and more water to flush solid waste by simply pressing the correct button.

8: Re-using water from a shower: Keep a bucket in the bathroom and while setting the correct temperature for your shower allow the water to run into the bucket, you can use it later for cleaning or watering plants.

Kitchen

9: Fill a jug with tap water and then place it in your fridge. This means you do not have to leave the cold tap running while waiting for the cold water to run cold before you fill your glass.

10: Wash only full loads in your dishwasher. This will avoid multiple running cycles of the dishwasher and will save you a lot of water.

11: Hand Washing: If you have dual sinks, fill one with soapy water and the other with clean water. This way, you can wash and rinse without having to run the water constantly. Should you have one sink you can either wash the dishes first in soapy water then refill with clean or buy a small plastic tub and fill with clean water and use beside your sink to rinse.

Laundry:

12: Always use full loads in your washing machine. You can cut down on water usage by waiting to wash your clothes when you have a full load. As an extra bonus it means that you will have fewer loads of laundry to wash.

Outdoors:

13: Watering your garden in the early morning and late afternoon will reduce evaporation.

14: Water your garden with a watering can versus using a Hose. A hose can easily use 1,000 litres of water in an hour.

15: If you use an automatic sprinkler system, shut it off when it is raining!

16: Mowing your lawn at a higher cut setting: Taller lawns will shade roots and thus hold soil moisture better than if it is closely clipped.

17: Replace the Lawn with Australian native plants: Grass needs a lot of water to maintain that healthy green look, however native plants are a lot hardier and are more drought tolerant

18: Use organic mulch around plants. Mulching will allow plants to retain moisture thus saving water, time and naturally money.

19: Sweep Driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them down.

20: Install a water tank to gather water from your roofs gutters when it rains

21: Use a commercial car wash that recycles water to wash your car.

Note: If, after implementing the water-saving tips, you find that there isn’t a reduction in your water usage, there may be a more serious issue in your plumbing system. It could be a leak or break in a location that can’t be readily seen, therefore you will need an experienced plumber to locate it for you. At Curl Curl Plumbing we use the latest technology to pinpoint any problems you may have within your pipes. We can easily repair or replace damaged pipes as needed. We welcome you to get in touch with us today on 1300 566 292 to either schedule your first appointment or just reach out to us to learn more and get started with your water-saving tips!