Brief Guide to Water Saving

Source: Australian Conservation Foundation’s “GreenHome Guide”

In this article:

1. Water saving tips
2. Water restrictions
3. Water saving resources

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1. Water saving tips

Mulch your garden and reuse greywater

A quarter of our household water is used outdoors on the garden or lawn. By spreading mulch over your soil, you can reduce the amount of water wasted through evaporation by around 70%. Make mulch from leaves, grass clippings, newspapers, bark or just about any other organic matter, or buy it from a nursery or garden supplier.

Your plants don’t need drinking quality water like you do, so reuse water from the laundry and the bathroom. A bucket in the shower and a hose from the washing machine is a good start, or get your plumber to install a greywater diverter.

Prevent water dripping

A dripping tap can waste over 20,000 litres of water a year and usually means that 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. Fixing a leaking toilet can be a bit tricky, so contact a licensed plumber.

Instal dual-flush toilets and water efficient appliances.

A half flush uses 3 litres, full flush just 4.5 in the latest water-efficient models, much less than an old standard cistern which uses 11 litres – and unless your toilet is plumbed into your rainwater tank or greywater system, this is treated drinking water from our dams being flushed down your toilet. Choose a dual flush toilet with at least a four-star water efficiency rating and save 28,000- 42,000 litres per year or $35-$53 from your water bill. If you’re 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.

Water-efficient appliances: 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 wastes 50-100 litres every wash.

Instal water-efficient showerheads and aerators

For as little as $20, you can save as much as $100 on your water bill: efficient shower heads (three stars or more) use only 7-9 litres per minute while traditional showerheads use 20-30 litres! Make sure your taps have aerators fitted (you can buy them from hardware or plumbing shops). They simply screw on, cost as little as $5 and cut your tap flow in half by mixing in air to maintain pressure.

Remember you can still waste a lot of water even under an efficient showerhead – save some water by limiting your shower time.

The single biggest water saver you can buy is a rainwater tank.

Your roof is more efficient than a dry dam catchment, and will collect water from the smallest rain shower. A tank for the garden will help keep things green when water restrictions stop you using mains water, but much more water can be saved by connecting the tank to the toilet, laundry and hot water systems, or the whole house. Tanks come in all shapes and sizes, fitting along walls or under floors if space is tight. Prices start around $700 and rebates can cut the cost of saving water in half. For more information on rainwater tanks talk to a Green plumber or Enviro plumber.

Register for a free DIY Water Saving Kit

2. Mind the water restrictions

Water restrictions may be in force in your area. Your local council is the best place to find out what restrictions apply, however, as a guide you may find:

- Hand-held hosing of lawns and gardens and drip irrigation is allowed only on certain days, usually before 10 am and after 4 pm
- No other watering systems or sprinklers are to be used at any time
- Restrictions on when and how you can fill new or renovated pools
- No hosing of hard surfaces including vehicles at any time
- No hoses or taps to be left running unattended, except when filling pools or containers
- Fire hoses must only be used for fire fighting purposes, not for cleaning.

Recycled water, bore water and water used for testing fire systems, fire fighting and related activities are excluded from restrictions.

Fines may apply for all breaches of water restrictions by individuals. .

Corporations may also face a fine for each breach.

Some things that may still permitted at any time, even during water restrictions, include:
- Using a bucket or watering can to wash and rinse vehicles or water lawns and gardens.
- Topping up any existing swimming pool.
- Using water from a rainwater tank, as long as it is not connected to or topped up from Water mains.
- Using a hose with a trigger nozzle or high pressure cleaning device to clean boat bilges and boat trailer brakes and wheels.
- Using a hose to flush boat engines.
- Cleaning garbage bins using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or with an on/off switch. This should be done within an official bin wash area or on grass.

3. Further water saving resources

• Download the GreenHome guides from www.acfonline.org.au/greenhome: NSW; VIC; WA; QLD

We hope this information will help you help the environment – if you want to help even more fill in this national water usage survey and help us to tell government and commerce how to help us all use less water. It will take less than 4 minutes! Complete the short water usage survey today.

DISCLAIMER: Information on this Internet site should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal and financial advice or reference to the actual legislation, specifically, the Estate Agents Act 1980, the Sale of Land Act 1962 and associated regulations . The financial information provided it is indicative only and should be qualified with the appropriate providers.

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