Did you know that most of the water used across urban areas of Western Australia is used at home? Climate change is making us all think about the way we use water, including our not-so-good water usage habits.
You may not realise it, but the way you shower, clean your dishes or water your garden can make a huge difference to the amount of water saved or wasted.
Here are some of the easiest water saving tips you can follow to make your home and garden more waterwise.
Around 36% of household water is used outdoors, mostly through our sprinklers. Making small adjustments in your garden can create meaningful, long-lasting savings.
Estimated water savings: High
Adjust your irrigation system to avoid overwatering. Watering just one extra day outside your rostered watering day can waste around 348 buckets of water each month, with each bucket holding around 9 litres.
Watering your garden only once on your rostered watering days and at the right time (before 9 am or after 6pm) helps water reach the roots and reduces evaporation. Different sprinklers apply water at different rates, so always check recommended run times for your sprinkler type. If rain is forecast, switch your system off and let nature do the watering.
Estimated water savings:High
Applying a generous amount of waterwise mulch can help you save up to 20% of water used in the garden.
If you're time-poor, topping your garden bed with a course, chunky mulch is one of the easiest things you can do to save water in the garden. Applying a generous layer between 5-10cm across the surface of the soil can greatly reduce evaporation loss, improve the soil, reduce weed growth and enhance the appearance of your garden. Get more low maintenance tips for a waterwise garden.
Applying a generous amount of waterwise mulch can help you save up to 20% of water used in the garden.
Learn more about mulching in the video below.
Estimated water savings: Medium
A green lawn is often thought of as the centrepiece to a beautiful garden, but water isn't the only thing you need to get that gorgeous green. You can save time caring for your lawn by using a wetting agent at least 3 to 4 times a year.
A wetting agent is a product applied to your garden that allows your soil to absorb and hold more water. Wetting agents are extra important in areas with sandy, hydrophobic soils. Get more expert tips for maintaining a healthy lawn.
Learn more about wetting agents in the video below.
Estimated water savings: Medium to high
An uncovered pool can waste around 250 litres of water a day in summer. That adds up to the equivalent of 27 buckets of water a day lost to evaporation.
Keep the pool cover on when your pool or spa isn't in use. This helps prevent the water and expensive pool chemicals from evaporating while keeping your pool warmer and the leaves out - bonus! When looking for pool covers and other products for outside, keep your eye out for the Waterwise and Smart Drop Certified logos.
Did you know?
We've investigated different ways to secure water for today and the future. Learn why desalination and water recycling are more sustainable for WA than cloud seeding and northern WA supplies.
Estimated water savings:High
Just one minute over the recommended 4-minute shower wastes 9 litres or around 1 bucket a day and about 7 buckets a week!
Inside the home, we tend to use most of our water in the shower - with average shower water usage accounting for 24% of total water used in the home. The average shower time is around 6 minutes, so cutting your shower time by just 2 minutes can make a big difference in your water usage.
Try using a shower timer or listen to a 4-minute song from our waterwise shower playlist. And if you’re waiting for the water to heat up, why not collect the cold water in a bucket to water your garden. Find more ways to save water during shower time.
Estimated water savings: Medium
A leaky toilet can waste up to 25 litres of water a day. Over a year, that adds up to around 1,000 buckets of water wasted.
A trickle in the toilet can waste around 9,000L of water a year. Look for signs that your toilet is leaking. And remember to choose the half flush where possible and only flush the 3 P's - pee, poo and (toilet) paper.
Estimated water savings: Low to medium 
Every minute you leave the tap running wastes up to 10L of water - that's over 1 bucket per minute. 8 out of 10 people have adopted the habit of turning the tap off while they brush their teeth. Have you?
Estimated water savings: Medium
Washing dishes by hand can waste 2,500 litres of water, that’s about 278 buckets a year.
Did you know a WELS 4-star dishwasher uses around 15L of water compared to a standard 22L capacity kitchen sink? Just make sure it's full before you press start or change the setting to half load if it's available. Don't forget to scrape your leftovers into the bin instead of rinsing them before putting them into the dishwasher! Read more kitchen water saving advice.
Estimated water savings: Medium
Pile up your dirty clothes until you have a full load to reduce your water usage. Choose a short, cool wash cycle where possible, saving you water and energy. When choosing a new washing machine, look for a machine with a WELS 4.5 star rating or better.
Learn more about saving water in the laundry.
Estimated water savings:High
Leaks can waste 20,000 litres of water a year or more. That’s over 2,000 buckets lost every year.
Not all leaks are easy to find, especially if they’re hidden in the walls of your house or underground in your retic pipes. If you don’t find and fix them, you could be wasting around 20,000 litres per year! Multiple leaks could be wasting even more water, so use our handy leak detection tool to check if you have a leak and fix it.
Find out how your household water use stack up against similar homes.
Just answer a few quick questions to find out if you're waterwise or if you're using too much. You could be wasting bucketloads.
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