7 Water Saving Tips For Every Home

Despite being the driest inhabited continent on the planet, Australians use the most water in the world per capita.

Putting some water saving tips into practice in your home can go a long way in helping save this finite resource. It can also help out the environment and your wallet.

1. Reduce Shower Time

As much as we all love a long, hot shower, this can be a source of major water consumption and wastage in the home. It makes sense, then, that shorter showers can make a noticeable impact on your household’s water savings. If we could all limit our showers to 4 minutes, we could reduce our water usage by up to 20%! That’s the perfect amount of time to listen to your favourite song and get yourself squeaky clean.

Sometimes a long shower is just what you need after a long day at work or when you’re getting ready for a night out. We can’t be water saviours all the time. Limiting our regular daily showers to a time limit and having the odd long shower here and there is still a step in the right direction.

You could even consider a shower timer, turning the water off when you’re sudsing up or shampooing, where you don’t need the flowing water. This tip can significantly reduce the amount of water you are using for your showers.

2. Install Water Saving Shower Heads and Aerators on Taps

An easy way to reduce water consumption is to install a water saving shower head and aerators on your taps.

Water Saving Shower Heads

If your shower head has been in your home longer than you have, it’s time for an upgrade. Some older shower heads have been found to use 15-25 litres of water per minute!

Modern shower heads use far less water than this, and there are even water saving shower heads available now. Shower heads with a flow rate of 9 litres of water per minute are typically the most popular but you can even find an efficient showerhead that uses as little as 5 litres per minute.

Aerators

Cut down on the amount of water you’re using in the kitchen by attaching an aerator to your tap. Aerators drastically reduce the amount of water that comes out of your tap, all while maintaining the water pressure you like.

You can simply purchase an aerator and screw it onto your kitchen tap, and you’ve got yourself another way to save water!

3. Repair Leaks and Save Water

If you’ve got a leaking tap or toilet, that’s a whole lot of water you’re wasting unnecessarily. That dripping tap could waste up to 20,000 litres of water in a year! That’s a big hit to both your water bill, the environment and your wallet.

A leak can be indicative of some major plumbing problems that should be attended to promptly. Not only will this help you save on water bills in the short term, but in the long term, you’ll also be avoiding an avoidable plumbing catastrophe.

4. Install a Dual-Flush Toilet

Do you still have an old single flush toilet in your bathroom? Older toilets can use up to 12 litres of water per flush! Upgrading to a water efficient dual-flush toilet can greatly help with saving water usage in the bathroom.

You can find dual-flush toilets that use 6/3 or 4.5/3 litres of water per flush. Even the least efficient 9/4.5 litre dual-flush toilets offer greater water efficiency than single flush toilets!

Ensure your toilet plumbing is completed by a fully licensed plumber. An improperly installed toilet could leak and waste even more water.

5. Upgrade to More Water Efficient Appliances

If your home has an older washing machine or dishwasher, chances are it’s using more water than it needs to. Modern appliances tend to be more energy efficient and also use less water. When considering how water efficient a new appliance is, you can look at its WELS rating.

WELS Rating

The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) makes choosing water efficient appliances and fixtures significantly easier. This rating gives a star rating out of 6 so you can easily compare average water consumption and efficiency between appliances. You’re also provided with the amount of water the appliance uses.

This means you can make better informed decisions on which washing machine or toilet will best suit your home as well as save water!

6. Optimise How You Use Appliances

While we’re on the topic of water saving products and appliances, you can reduce your water use by only using your washing machines and dishwashers when you have a full load. Alternatively, you can adjust the settings to suit the size of the load you’re washing.

While not related to saving on energy bills and water, you can also set your appliances to use cold water only to save on the energy used to make your hot water! Save the hot water for your showers and pocket that extra money you’ll save from your energy bill.

7. Install a Rainwater Tank

Despite our low rainfall, there’s no reason not to take advantage of the rain we do get. Installing a rainwater tank in your garden is a great way to save water.

While we wouldn’t recommend using rainwater as a drinking source, you can certainly use it around your garden, in the laundry, washing dishes, and even for your showers and toilets. Having a rainwater tank can be especially useful when water restrictions are put in place.

Incorporating these tips for saving water in your everyday life can help you both save money as well as do your part for the environment. From installing water efficient taps to being smarter about how you use washing machines, there are many ways to increase water efficiency and decrease energy costs in your home.

Plumber Near Me has expert plumbers who can offer you water saving tips for your home. Contact us to learn more.

Please note: This information is provided for advice purposes only. Regulations differ from state to state, so please consult your local authorities or an industry professional before proceeding with any work. See our Terms & Conditions here.