Bathroom
About 20 per cent of household water is used in the bathroom, and another 18 per cent in the toilet.
- Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth. If you brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes each time, and leave the tap running, you could be wasting around 12 litres (or just over a bucket) of water a day. That's over 4,300 litres per person, per year.
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Use a plug in the basin when shaving rather than letting the tap run.
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Install a water efficient showerhead. Not only will you save on your water bills, but using less hot water means you’ll also save on your energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You’ll also save lots of water.
- Reduce your showering time. Every minute you cut from your shower
time could save up to nine litres of water if you have a ‘3
star’ rated water-efficient showerhead, and up to 20 litres
if you have an older style, conventional showerhead.
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Use the half flush option when possible on dual flush toilets.
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Install a displacement device in the cistern (tank) of single flush toilets, as it can save you a litre of water every flush. You can do this by removing the lid of your cistern and carefully placing a one litre sealed plastic bottle filled with pebbles and water inside in a way that won’t interfere with the flushing mechanism.
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Check for toilet leaks by placing a few drops of biodegradable food colouring into the cistern, and wait for 30 minutes. If you have a leaking toilet, you will see coloured water in the toilet bowl and need to contact a plumber. A slow, barely visible leak into your toilet bowl can waste more than 4,000 litres of water a year. Visible, constant leaks (with a hissing sound) can waste 95,000 litres a year.
