How to save water at your place
Our wai is precious - so it's important to understand how much you're using, and how to conserve it.
Want to learn how to conserve water inside and outside your home? Check out our water-saving tips below.
Free or low cost ways to save water
- Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth
- Use the half-flush for number ones, and only use the full flush for number twos or no. 1's and no. 2's
- Have shorter showers, four minutes (or shorter!) is ideal, which is about as long as a song. Check out our playlists on Spotify to choose your favourite 4 minute song
- Only do full loads in the washing machine
- Do the sniff test on your clothes before putting them in the wash. If it passes the sniff test hang it up and wear it again later in the week. (Not suitable for teenage boys!)
- Scrap your plates clean instead of rinsing
- Add mulch to your garden. This can be old leaves or grass clippings after mowing
- Save water from your shower to water your garden. Put a bucket under your shower to catch the water while it warms up
Lower cost ways to save water
- Leaking tap? Most leaking taps just need the washer replaced to stop the leak. ($5-10)
- Fill your sink when handwashing dishes rather than washing under a running tap.
- Replace your bathroom taps with more water efficient taps ($40+)
- Upgrade your garden hose to one that that doesn't leak, kink or tear (from $10+)
- Plug in a sprinkler timer so you don't forget you've left your sprinkler on! ($15+)
- Buy a trigger nozzle that you can turn on and off as you move around watering your garden (from $20+)
- Replace your shower head with a more water efficient one - 3 stars is the most efficient shower head. ($40+)
Invest in saving water
- Install a rainwater tank to collect rain from your roof. Can be used to water your garden or to drink in an emergency. (from $130+)
- Replace your old toilet with a dual-flush water efficient toilet (approx $200+)
- Replace your top loader washing machine with a front loader (approx $500+)
- Replace your dishwasher with a more water efficient model 3 stars plus (approx $500+)
- Upgrade how you water your garden to a targeted irrigation system or a drip line irrigation system (from $20+ depending on the size of your garden)
Household water saving tips
Want a better idea of how much you and your whanau are using at your place?
Bathroom
Did you know water use in the bathroom makes up about 20 to 30% of household water use? Here are some easy ways to cut down.
Shower
- One minute in the shower can use up to 18 litres of water. Keep it quick in the shower (about as long as a song) and make every minute count, with an efficient shower head. Find them at your local hardware store.
- Brushing your teeth? Turn off the tap! A bathroom tap uses around 6 litres of water per minute.
Toilet
- Stick to the half-flush and save the full flush for when you really, really need it.
- If your whānau or flatmates don’t mind, ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’.
- Ignoring that slow drip in the loo? It could be using up to 28 litres of wai per day – get it checked out by a plumber.
- Not sure if there’s a leak? Put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern. If the colouring appears in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak (you may need to wait an hour or two for the food colouring to leak into the bowl).
Laundry
A washing machine can use more than 120 litres of water per load! Cutting down your use is simple.
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Only do full loads of laundry.
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Be an outfit repeater! Got an outfit with no visible stains? If it passes the sniff test, hang it up and wear it again later in the week.
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If you’re in the market for a new washing machine, front-loaders can use significantly less water.
Kitchen
Dishwashers don’t use as much water as you might think, but leaving a high-pressure kitchen tap running can use up to 12 litres per minute.
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Skip the pre-rinse - scrape off food into the compost/bin instead.
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Handwashing your dishes? Fill your sink rather than washing under a running tap.
Gardens and outdoors
Around 25% of household water use is done in the garden – reduce use and maximise results with these handy tips!
Hand watering
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Add mulch (old leaves or grass clippings after mowing) to your garden. This helps stop wind and sun drying out the soil, cutting evaporation by up to 70% and puts nutrients back in the soil.
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The middle of the day is when the sun is hottest – and evaporation happens fast. Water in the early morning or evening, so your garden gets the maximum benefit.
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In dry weather, check your garden every 4-7 days. If your soil is moist 10cm below the surface, don’t worry about watering.
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Water close to the ground at a rate the soil can absorb. Slow watering and not over-watering your garden is important.
Sprinklers & irrigation:
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IN: Deep soakings once or twice a week. OUT: Frequent light water sprinklings. Deep soakings encourage feeder roots to grow and help your plants survive short term drought conditions.
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Use drippers or directional sprinkler heads. These make sure water is going where you want it, not wasted on your paths or fences.