or visit
Related Links
How our employees help
Our staff planted more than 600 trees on Planet Ark National Tree Day.
Save water without changing your lifestyle
Australians are among the biggest users of water in the world yet we live in one of the driest countries. As climate change continues to affect the amount of rainfall we receive, our rivers and land are increasingly under stress and water resources for our cities are becoming less reliable. The good news is using less water is easy.
10 top tips
- Take shorter showers. Use a AAA-rated shower head or fit a flow-restrictor and cut your water use in half without noticing the difference
- Look out for leaks. One dripping tap can waste 24,000 litres a year. You can fix it in a few minutes with a cheap washer
- Install a dual-flush toilet. New AAAA-rated toilets can use 66% less water than single-flush models and 30% less than older, dual-flush toilets. If a new toilet isn't an option, put a full plastic bottle in the cistern to reduce the water in each flush
- Fit tap aerators. They're cheap and easy to install yourself and cut the flow of water from your tap by up to half without reducing water pressure, so you won't notice the difference
- Wait until your dishwasher is full. Running your AAA-rated dishwasher with a full load can use less water than washing the same dishes by hand
- Only wash a full load of clothes. AA-rated 6kg machines can use up to 156 litres per cycle. Use a 4A or 5A model and you'll cut your water use by up to two-thirds
- Use a trigger nozzle on your garden hose and you won't waste water while you're moving the hose around. A garden hose sprays 1000 litres an hour
- Get tough on lawns. Toughen up your lawn by watering less often, and keep the grass 3cm high to shade the soil and protect the roots
- Use plenty of mulch on garden beds. It’s an easy, cheap way to save water. A 75mm layer of mulch can cut water loss through evaporation by over 70%
- Don't empty your pool in winter, you can clean the water in time for summer. Ask your pool maintenance people for advice
Did you know?
- You can do all the things you do right now like have a good hot shower, with less water. Plus you'll save money, protect the environment and help make sure our water supply is sustainable for future generations
- Up to half the water we use at home goes in the bathroom. Toilets use more than anything else - up to 12 litres for each flush. New AAAA-rated toilets can use just 3 litres
- A running tap can waste 17 litres a minute. When you're washing fruit or your hands, rinsing dishes or shaving, use a half-filled sink rather than a running tap. And turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth
Further links
Savewater.com.au displays a wide range of water-conserving products.
View products accredited with the Smart Approved Watermark at www.smartwatermark.info.