A GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN THE HOME...

SAVE WATER

Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent, and is currently in drough. With each year that passes our fresh water supplies become more scarce. To ensure that we have fresh water supplies in the future we need to be much smarter about how we use our water resources.

At present an average Australian household uses 240,000 litres or 5 domestic swimming pools of fresh water each year. Around 13% of this is flushed down the toilet and another 32% is used in the garden. Fortunately, saving water around the home is simple.

A BREAKDOWN OF WATER USE IN THE HOME:

THINGS TO DO TODAY

There are many things you can do to save water that won't cost you a cent, require little effort and will in fact save you money:

By...	Over a Year You Could Save...
Only running the dishwasher with full loads	Approximately 3,000 litres of water
Fix dripping taps (replace worn washers etc)	10,000 - 73,000 litres of water
Taking a shorter shower (4 minutes)	85,000 litres of water in your household
Putting a brick in old toilet cisterns	Over 3,000 litres of water in your household
Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth	4,000 litres of water per person

THINGS TO DO TOMORROW

These are some great, inexpensive measures for saving water around the home. These include:

• Installing flow restrictors/Mixer taps. These limit water pressure so that water flows at a lower rate, ensuring that less water is wasted. These simple devices can save a family 24,000 litres of water a year.

• Fix a leaking toilet - this can save you 50,000 litres of water a year.

• Install a water efficient shower head. AAA rated showerheads deliver less than 9L/minute compared to 15-20L/minute for traditional showerheads without compromising on pressure.

• Buy a new front-loading washing machine that uses less water and less energy

• Drain water from your washing machine onto your garden using a water-saver

• Install rainwater tanks, dual-flush toilets and grey-water tanks and receive rebates from your local council!

• Put less water into your swimming pool and cover it when not in use. This can save up to 25,000 litres of water a year.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Our Water, www.ourwater.vic.gov.au

Save water, www.savewater.com.au

Sydney Water, www.sydneywater.com.au

Yarra Valley Water, www.yvw.com.au

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The Sustainable Living Guide links and information provided have been reproduced with permission from the Manningham City Council - Sustainable Living Guide, 2004.