Living in Australia we all know water is a precious resource with climate change and continuous industrialisation drying up our river systems, causing drought and water scarcity. Compounded with below-average rainfall over the past five years It is difficult to believe we are prepared to waste about 90% of water resources. Australian citizens are amongst the greatest water consumers in the world Using approximately 100,000 L per person every year. We can reverse this by becoming more proactive and saving our water which can bring the water balance back although it will take time and commitment.
Simple strategies to help you use less water are:
- When using the taps or showering do not let the water run constantly, rather wet yourself then turn the tap off, lather up or shave turning the water back on to rinse.
- When rinsing vegetables or fruit fill a container with water then when finished use it to water your plants.
- Water plants at the coolest time of the day to minimise water evaporation and only water when the soil is dry.
- Take shorter showers limit them to a maximum of 4 minutes.
- If you use buckets rather than a hose when washing the car, you can reduce water consumption by 50%.
- Replace your showerhead with a low flow one, you can save 20 L of water per minute.
- Get your taps fitted with aerators to reduce the water flow.
- Install dual flush model toilets they used 70% less the single flush.
- While waiting for the hot water to flow out of the tap, catch the cold water in a container and use it to wash your vegetables or water your plants or fill your water jugs.
- Consider planting a native garden with drought resistant plants to reduce your water consumption.