Quick tips
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and use a cup for rinsing. A running tap can use about 5 litres of water per minute.
- Use a plug to keep water in the sink for rinsing your razor or washing your face. A small amount of water in the basin rather than running a tap can save litres of water.
- Fix a leak. If your tap is dripping it can waste as much as 200 litres a day
- Install flow-controlled aerators for taps. They’re inexpensive and can reduce water flow by 50%.
- Take shorter showers. Every minute less saves one bucket of water Try a 4 minute shower timer or choose your favourite 4-minute song from this playlist.
- Use a bucket to collect water while waiting for the shower to get hot. Use the excess water to shave or water your plants.
- Install a WELS 4-star rated showerhead to save water and energy. . Older showerheads use 15-25 litres of water per minute, but efficient showerheads use 6-7 litres per minute.
- Consider an instantaneous water heater if your existing water heater is a long way from the bathroom. Talk to a plumber first to make sure it will work with your showerhead.
- Set your hot water heater thermostat no higher than 600 C. Adding cold water to cool hot water is a waste of energy and water.
- Use the half flush button on your toilet instead of the full flush when you can. Full flush uses 4.5 litres per flush and 3 litres per half flush.
- Replace your old toilet with a dual flush. A single flush uses between 11 and 18 litres per flush. Can’t replace the toilet? Place a water-filled plastic bottle or brick into your cistern to reduce the water use.
- Fix a leak. A leaking toilet can waste up to 60,000 litres of water per year. Check for leaks by putting a few drops of food dye in the cistern. If you have a leak, coloured water will trickle down the back of the bowl.
- Only flush poo, pee and toilet paper down the toilet. Flushing other items can cause blockages and overflows wasting valuable water and creates a costly mess.
- Set your hot water heater thermostat no higher than 600 C. Adding cold water to cool hot water is a waste of energy and water.
- Only fill the tub with as much water as needed.
- Use your used bath water on your garden.
Renovating your bathroom?
Before buying a new toilet or showerhead, check the manufacturer’s water efficiency labels. Australia’s Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme allows consumers to compare the water efficiency of different products using a star rating system. By buying more water efficient products you can save money on water and electricity bills and help the environment.