Hints and tips on reducing water use

Mulch your garden and save kilo-litres.
A quarter of our household water is used outdoors on the garden, some gardens consume far more. By spreading mulch (leaves, grass clippings, shredded garden waste even newspaper) over your soil, you can reduce the amount of water wasted through evaporation by around 70%. Reduce evaporation by watering early in the morning or in the evening.

Fix leaks in your plumbing.
A dripping tap can waste over 20,000 litres of water a year and usually means a washer needs replacing, this is simple to fix, all you need is a tap spanner and a replacement washer. A leaky toilet that is constantly hissing can waste up to 100,000 litres a year.

Reduce your toilets flush.
A single flush toilet uses 11 litres per flush or 40-60,000 litres per year in the average (2 – 3 people) household. Replace this with an efficient 3/4.5 litre dual-flush and save 28,000 to 42,000 litres per year or $35 to $53 from your water bill. If you are stuck with a single flush toilet, you can still save water. Place two 2-litre plastic bottles filled with water in the cistern to displace water and reduce the flush to 7 litres, or install a flush regulator that stops flushing when you do.

Short efficient showers
Water efficient shower heads (three-stars or better) use only 7 – 9 litres of water per minute, while traditional showerheads use 20 – 30 litres. Sydney water offer a DIY kit or plumber’s visit to install a new water-efficient showerhead, tap aerator and fix minor leaks for only $22.
Go to www.sydneywater.com.au/savingwater/inyourhome/waterfix/
For shower head efficiency information Click Here

 Catch the rain
Your roof is more efficient at collecting rainwater than a dry dam catchment and will collect water from the smallest rain shower. A rainwater tank of between 1000-7000 litres works well for the Illawarra. With a 5000 litre tank you could save up to 100,000 litres of water every year. The easiest way to use rain water is on the garden, which accounts for 25-50% of water usage in the average home. A tank for the garden will help keep things green when water restrictions stop you using mains water.
Greater savings can be made by connecting a rainwater tank to the toilet, laundry and hot water system, or the whole house.
Green plumbers can help you install the best system for your needs: www.greenplumbers.com.au or www.enviroplumber.com.au
In NSW rebates of up to $800 are available for rain water tanks, for more information: www.sydneywater.com.au/savingwater/rainwatertanks

Grey water reuse
Capture and reuse of grey water can save billions of litres of water. Grey water is water from your washing machine, laundry tub, shower, hand basin and bath, but does not include waste water from your toilet, bidet or kitchen. Grey water systems need to be well set up and maintained to protect the environment and your health. The easiest way to start using grey water is to put a bucket under the shower, carry buckets from the bath or run a hose from your washing machine. Grey water used immediately on the garden does not need to be treated, however be careful; some laundry detergents are high in sodium (salt) that can damage the soil. Untreated grey water should not be used directly on fruit or vegetables that you will eat raw.

Water efficient washing machines/dish washers
When you buy a washing machine or dishwasher, check the water efficiency star rating, the more stars the more water efficient. An old washing machine uses two or three times more water and wastes 50-100 litres every wash. Rebates are available for new washing machines with four stars or better, see: www.sydneywater.com.au/savingwater/inyourhome/washingmachinerebate