Start saving water in the home
It's not just about saving you money on monthly water bills, it's about reducing your water consumption and becoming more eco-friendly in the home. Here are a few practical ways that you can become water wise in the home and garden:
The majority of local water authorities charge for water useage on a sliding scale; the more you use the more you pay. That means that any changes you make are worth the effort.
Be water wise in the garden
During the summer months we use far more water outdoors in the garden. Here are some tips on how to cut down on water usage outside the home:
- Use an automatic spray nozzle on your gardening hose to prevent the hose from running freely while washing cars and watering plants.
- If you use a permanent underground sprinkler system, make sure it’s a weather-smart system that has a rain sensor or soil moisture sensor to help prevent unnecessary watering.
- Cut back on the frequency with which you water your lawn: Start with one fewer watering each week to see how the grass responds, then continue to cut back based on the lawn's health.
- Plan landscaping with your climate in mind so that extra watering beyond normal rainfall isn’t needed.
- Make sure outdoor taps are tightly closed to prevent drips.
- Replace thirty plants with indigenous varieties that require less watering.
- Use grey water on potted plants - both indoor and outdoor. Water used from boiling eggs or vegetables, left to cool, is ideal for watering plants.
- Put a layer of mulch around plants and vegetables - they will require less watering.
Be water wise in the home
While the water usage changes you make inside your home may not provide the same level of immediate savings as your outdoor changes, they can make a difference. Consider the following tips:
- Collect rainwater and dishwater in tubs and buckets to water your plants.
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
- Install a dual flush toilet system - or do a full-flush only when necessary.
- Run the washer and dishwasher only when they’re completely full.
- Fix a leaky tap or toilet immediately. Leaking toiletsand taps can waste a considerable amount of water, but are usually very cheap to fix.
- Accumulate dishes rather than washing individually.
- Put an egg-timer in the shower and reduce showering time to 5 mins. Most people can shorten their shower time by several minutes, thus conserving water per shower.
- Only have a full bath once a week. Make do with less water at other times.
- If you need to wash you car, do it in the early morning or late afternoon when it is cooler. Better yet, wash your vehicle while it's raining to take full advantage of the conditions.
Water on tap
If you are concerned about your drinking water, instead of resorting to bottled water from your supermarket, consider the installation of a pure water filtration system.