Waterwise Homes

Waterwise around the Home

Saving precious local water resources requires everyone to think about how they use water. But a few simple modifications around the home can you can save water without thinking about it.

WaterWise in the Bathroom

We use more water in our bathrooms than in any other part of the house. It’s a great place to start when looking for ways to save water, money and the environment.

Change your bathroom habits

Take shorter showers. Limit yourself to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off
If you want a long soak take a bath, it can be relaxing and uses less water than a long shower
Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth and use a glass for rinsing
Don’t rinse your razor under a running tap use a little warm water in the sink for rinsing
Don’t use the toilet to flush away cigarette butts, tissues or other rubbish
Turn taps off properly and fix dripping taps promptly

Maintain good habits at work and on holiday, not just at home.

Tip for the bathroom: A leaking toilet can waste more than 60,000 litres of water per year. Check for leaks by putting a little food colouring in the tank. If within 10 minutes the colouring begins appearing in the bowl without flushing, get the cistern repaired immediately.

WaterWise in the Kitchen
Imagine 1000 one-litre milk cartons filled with water sitting on your doorstep each morning! Astonishingly, that’s how much water is used at home each day by the average Queensland family of four.

Change your habits at the sink
Use a plug or a bowl – a running tap wastes water

At the dishwasher

Wait for a full load
Think about the cycle – choosing an efficient dishwasher cycle saves water and power
When buying a dishwasher choose a dishwasher with a high water efficiency rating three stars or better)

Tip for the kitchen: A running kitchen tap uses about 12 litres of water a minute. Wash fruit and vegetables in a shallow sink of water and save around 15 litres every time. Or use a plastic bowl in your sink and then tip the used water on your plants.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers use up to 20 litres of water per load
Wait for a full load – running a full load is more water-efficient than washing dishes by hand
Use the ‘rinse and hold’ cycle or use a minimal amount of water for rinsing

Choosing a dishwasher
Look for a water efficiency label for a clear guide to the most water-efficient machine

Garbage disposal units
Garbage-disposal units use about 50 litres of water per day and send a lot of extra rubbish into the sewers
. Instead, compost vegetable and fruit scraps and use them in the garden.

WaterWise in the Laundry
The laundry is a large consumer of water in the home. Automatic washing machines reduce the time required to do the washing, but can use excessive amounts of water.

Change your laundry habits

The water level in the machine should be set to suit the particular washing load. Most machines have water level adjustment
Delay washing until you have a full load
Choose washing machines with a high water efficiency rating – the more stars, the more efficient the appliance

Tip for the laundry: Front loading washing machines are much more water-efficient than top loading machines. Top loaders use up to 60 per cent more water.

Select the right washing machine
The majority of washing machines today are automatic and can be categorised into:

top loading washers
front loading washers

Top loading washing machines generally cost less to purchase than the front loading machine but they cost more to run.
On average, top loaders use up to 60 per cent more water, 50 per cent more detergent and 40 per cent more electricity.

What to look for in a washing machine

When purchasing a washing machine select one with a high water-efficient star rating (four stars or more) and a load capacity that best suits your requirements.

What do you do to be Waterwise? Let Wide Bay Water Corporation know and you could win a waterwise promotional kit.
So start thinking and send your entries to wbw@widebaywater.qld.gov.au or PO Box 5499 Hervey Bay Queensland 4655.
You can also drop in to our offices Monday to Friday between 8.15am and 5.00pm at 29-31 Ellengowan Street Urangan.