Being Waterwise in your home
| More information to help you save water | |
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 Water Efficiency Labelling & Standards Scheme | |
 Water saving tips for in and outside the home | |
Reduce the pressure
Get with the flow
Toilet
Bathroom
Kitchen
Laundry
Waterwise choices for new homes
Households use about 43% of their total water inside the home. If we all reduced how much we use by even a small amount, we could make a huge difference to our total water consumption.
Installing water efficient appliances and plumbing fittings is as easy as looking for the highest 'Star' rating for water efficiency on these products.
Making simple changes to our habits, like taking shorter showers, can make a big difference too.
Here are some practical ways to save water in your home without affecting your lifestyle.
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Check for hidden leaks
Leaks or dripping taps can waste thousands of litres of water each year.
Reduce the pressure
High water pressure increases flow rates from showers and taps and can increase leaks and drips, all of which potentially increase your water use. If you have extremely high water pressure, a Waterwise Plumber can fit a pressure reduction valve at your property boundary.
To help you fix a leak or reduce high pressure, see our Waterwise Specialists page for a list of Waterwise Plumbers.
Get with the flow
Flow regulators can be fitted to many existing taps in kitchens and bathrooms and showerheads. It's a simple job, and by fitting a flow regulator to taps and showerheads you can reduce the water flow from an average of 12 litres to 9 litres per minute or less.
How to install a flow regulator
- It's easy! Click here to see how!
Toilet
Dual flush systems
If you're building or replacing the entire toilet (the pan and cistern), 6/3 litre and 4.5/3 litre dual flush units are the most water efficient. If you're just replacing the cistern choose a 9/4.5 litre dual flush cistern to suit older style toilet pans.
The toilet is not a rubbish bin
The toilet uses a lot of water in the home, between 3 and 11 litres for every half or full flush. Some people use their toilets to flush away cigarette butts, tissues and other rubbish. This wastes a lot of water and can cause problems in the sewerage or septic system.
Bathroom
Showers
Long, hot showers waste water and power. Conventional showers use an average 12 litres of water per minute. So shorten your showers. Just a minute or two every day adds up to a lot of water over a year. Shower timers are a great way to remind you to limit shower times.
Catch the cold water
We nearly all waste water while we wait for the hot tap to warm up. Why not keep containers handy near your sink and shower and use the water you would usually waste on indoor plants or the garden.
Low flow showerheads
Almost a third of in-house water is used in the shower and much of it is heated, so you're using power too. Installing a new low flow showerhead will enable you to enjoy a good pressure shower, with a reduction of around one third water use, compared to a conventional showerhead.
Basins and tubs
The right basin shapes saves water. Deep, narrow basins use less water than shallow, wide ones and a basin with a smaller surface area also saves on hot water by reducing the cooling rate. Basins can be fitted with pop-up plugs, which stay closed until a lever or button is pressed. These discourage leaving taps running as the basin quickly fills.
Turn the tap off
Don't let water run while cleaning your teeth or washing your hands. A tap running strongly can use up to 9 litres of water per minute. If you regularly keep the tap running while cleaning your teeth you could use about 7,000 litres per year. Use a cup and you could save nearly all this water.
When buying a bathtub
As with hand basins, select a bathtub that is deep and narrow. Have it fully insulated to retain water temperature. This can be achieved with a bed of fibreglass batts. Ask your builder to insulate it as your bathroom is being fitted out.
Kitchen
Dishwasher
Even a dishwasher with a low water use rating can use the equivalent of two sinks of water per wash. Older models can use even more, up to 40 litres. To save water, run your dishwasher only when it is full. You will also save on your power bills.
Laundry
Almost one quarter of in-house water use is in the laundry.
Washing Machine
When purchasing a new washing machine, compare the water and energy use of different brands and choose the most efficient machine that fits your budget. Front loading machines generally use less water than top loaders of the same size. As with dishwashers, wait until it's full and you'll save water and power. Use water level controls, suds savers or different wash cycles if available to save water for particular kinds of loads. Low rinse and low detergent options are also recommended.
Waterwise choices for new homes
Design your new home for water efficiency
When planning a house, locate the hot water system and bathrooms, ensuites, laundry and kitchen as close to each other as possible. This reduces initial plumbing costs and saves water and energy by reducing the flushing of cold water from hot water taps.
Insulate hot water pipes
Insulating hot water pipes can save water and power by retaining water heat and reducing the need to flush out cold water from hot water taps.
For more information about being Waterwise in your home please contact our Waterwise Helpline on 13 10 39.