Summer is just around the corner and while the warm weather might be a welcome relief for some, others who are currently living in the worst drought in living memory, fear what the long, hot days will mean.
According to Sydney Water’s Love water, don’t waste it campaign, saving water is more important now than ever before. Regardless of where you live, all Australians have the capacity to pitch in and help by reducing their usage around the home.
From the obvious to the savvy, here’s ten way to reduce your indoor water usage today.
1. Time your showers. Hot showers are nice but saving water is better. Set a timer and keep showers to four minutes or less. Although reducing your shower time might not seem like much. Remember this: every minute you leave the shower running unnecessarily, you’re wasting 9 litres of water as well as energy.
2. Put a bucket in the shower. Place the bucket in your shower to catch any excess water, you will be surprised at how quickly it fills up. The collected water can then be used for your plants or grass.
3. Fix your taps, quick smart. Not only is the sound of a dripping tap really annoying, but it also squanders a lot of water. In fact, one leaking tap can waste up 2,000 litres of water a month.
4. Install water-saving bathroom accessories. Fit a WELS rated water-saving showerhead and water-efficient taps in your bathroom. Doing so will save on water and reduce energy costs.
5. Fill the sink. When it comes to food prep, wash your fruit and vegetable in a plugged sink, instead of rinsing under running water.
6. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. OK well just ensure you use the half flush and keep in mind that six to 32 litres of water is required to flush a toilet. Additionally, If you have an old single flush toilet, installing a 4-star dual flush toilet could save about 25,000 litres of water a year.
7. Defrost food in the fridge. Before you leave for work, move frozen food from the freezer to the refrigerator. It will defrost during the day and be ready to cook when you get home. If you forget, there’s always the microwave.
8. Only run a full load. Some dishwashers use as little as 6.5 (6 1/2) litres per cycle so only run it when it’s full and make sure you set the settings to eco before hitting start. Scrape food scraps in a bucket for composting instead of rinsing plates in the sink.
9. Turn the tap off while brushing teeth, shaving and washing hands. It might not seem like much, but turning the tap off for the minute it takes for you to rub soap into your hands will make a considerable difference to water consumption.
10. Keep a bottle or jug of water in the fridge. There’s nothing worse than trying to quench a thirst with lukewarm water on a hot day. Resist the urge to run the tap until the water cools, and keep a jug of cold water in the fridge instead.
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