TOP 10 WATER SAVING TIPS FOR ADELAIDE HOUSEHOLDS.

We all know that water costs money. In Australia we are used to periods where we do not get much rain. Some households have installed rainwater tanks to enable them to save water in the house and not to rely on town supplies.

Having spent that money on a great rainwater tank, it then makes sense to practice water saving techniques to get the most of your saved rainwater.

1.Check all your taps, showers, toilets and hoses for leaks.

A steady drip from a tap over the period of a day can mean up to 80 litres of water down the drain. Check tap washes regularly and if you notice a dripping tap, fix as soon as you can.

2.Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

We all love to brush our teeth, as we doing so it is not uncommon for us to have the tap running to wash away the foam that comes out of our mouths. This is another way to waste water. Turn off the tap! A good practice is to have a cup in the bathroom, and fill it up when you start brushing your teeth, much like when you go camping. Then use a small amount to rinse your brush, and the remainder to gargle and rinse your mouth. You will be amazed at the amount of water your will save using this method.

3.When washing the dishes, partially fill the sink.

Some of us do not have dishwashers and are there by forced to wash your dishes by hand. I like to rinse my dishes of the soapy residue. This is how I do my dishes. I will put some war-hot water in the sink(about ¼) then I soap up my dishes and place on the drainer or into the 2nd sink as I go. I then use the other sink to rinse my dishes. I add some hot water and place the dishes into the sink and then put them onto the drainer.

4.Dishwashers Save Water.

Using a dishwasher is said to save you water as well. Check to see if the dishwasher has a good star rating for water usage before buying it. Scrape off the remaining food rather than rinsing it before placing in the dishwasher.

5.Install water saving shower heads

Installing water saving devices to your showers, and add a timer in the shower to limit the time taken to shower. Limiting a shower to less than 5 minutes can save lots of water and valuable resources.

6.Instant water heaters.

Installing an Instant hot water service unit will save you loads of water as they instantly heat the water up, saving you from having the water running whilst it heats up.

7.Install a high efficiency front loading washing machine.

High Efficiency (HE) front loaders will save you water. When you hook it up to your grey water system so that this water can be used to water your garden,you save money on water in multiple ways. Please remember to use cleaning products that are environmentally friendly and low in phosphates that will not damage your soil or plants. Please note that you should not use grey water on plants that you intend to eat.

8.Use succulents in your garden.

Succulents store water in their leaves and stems and do not require large amounts of water to keep them going. They have their own water saving areas in their leaves that will store the water for them.

9.Place the car on the lawn when washing it.

This will enable you to achieve 2 tasks at the same time. Watering the lawn and washing the car. Please remember to use a bucket to save even more water.

10. Install a rainwater tank.

Use a rainwater tank to harvest and store your water so that you can use it in your house or on your garden. H2Orainwater tanks have rainwater tanks in many different colours that can fit in with your garden décor, roof colour or fence colour. We use quality Aquaplate made by Blue Scope Steel. Aquaplate comes with a 20 year warranty on the steel.