Water

... inside the house?

• turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving, a running tap wastes 6 litres of water a minute

• put a 1.5 or 2 litre plastic bottle in your single flush toilet cistern, save up to 30L per day

• fix dripping taps or leaking toilet cisterns, save as much as 100 litres a day

• take a shorter shower, a double whammy that saves water and energy

• install a dual flush toilet cistern, about a quarter of all the clean, drinkable water we use in our homes is flushed down the toilet

• run washing machines and dishwashers with a full load and on their economy setting, another double whammy that saves water and energy

• look for and buy AAA water conservation rating appliances

• during summer, keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge, saves running water waiting for it to turn cold

• put a plug in the sink when washing vegetables, save up to 6 litres per minute

• install tap aerators, reduce the flow by 50% without reducing pressure

… outside in the garden?

• buy  a trigger gun attachment for your hose, this cheap device will prevent water wastage when using the hose

• choose plants and grass that need less water, native plants often do better than exotics and attract wonderful native birds and will save you thousands of litres per week in watering

• Install/use a drip system, this will help save you money and prevent water loss through evaporation

• let your grass grow longer and accept it may not be as green over summer

• longer blades of grass promote deeper roots and shade the ground better

• wash the car less, use a bucket instead of the hose and wash it on the lawn and water it at the same time.

• consider rain water collection tanks to water your garden. Rain water is free and abundant, capturing some of this water for use will significantly reduce your total water consumption

• Consider installing a grey water diverter and filter. A grey water system uses your waste water to irrigate your garden.   Note: grey water is waste water that is not contaminated with human faecal waste i.e. everything that goes down the drain expect the toilet and can safely be re-used on your garden. Grey water is not recommended for food growing gardens.

• Water costs money so your council works very hard to minimise any wastage. If you suspect a leak or think that there might be one underground (wet patches of ground on dry summer days) please call us on 5272170