8 Tips To Be More Conservative With Water Usage In Your Home

Australia is the driest inhabited continent across the globe. However, this does not stop us from using gallons of water every day. On average, each Australian uses a whopping 1,156 gallons of water per day, placing us 9th in the world.

While homes, businesses and farms all rely on water, there are steps that we can all take to become more water efficient and responsible – particularly given the global climate change crisis. Lowering household consumption is also an excellent way to maintain your plumbing systems and appliances.

With all of this in mind, we have complied a list of 8 tips to help reduce your household water usage.  If you need help with blocked drains in Melbourne give us a call.

Why You Need to Be More Conservative with Water Usage

Given the level of access us Melbournians have, it can be easy to view water as an endless resource. As we are all aware, the current global crisis has made water conservation more important than ever before. Reducing household water usage is not only a way to lower your energy bills, but also a moral obligation that we all share.

Considering the current individual spending on water and the number of water sources available, we all need to work on conserving water wherever possible. With all of that in mind, let us look at some of the top tips that you can follow to conserve water in your household.

8 Tips to Conserve Water in Your Home

Whether you live in small apartment or a large home with expansive gardens, there are more ways to reduce water consumption than you may think. Before you reach out a plumber in Caulfield, Box Hill or Brighton, let’s dive into 8 tips for effective water conservation.

#1 Fix Any Leaks

Leaking taps are a common plumbing problem for many Melbourne homes. While they usually fall on the lower end of plumbing emergencies, leaks can quickly lead to serious water waste. If you’ve noticed that the pattering is growing louder or won’t stop, the time is now to intervene.

Start by checking the pipes, taps and fixtures across your home. This is a simple way to ensure that there are no leakages that could lead to flooding or general water waste. Remember, leaks also occur outdoors, so make sure to check any taps and fixtures that are outside.

Contacting a licensed plumber is ultimately the best way to deal with any leaking taps and appliances. An experienced plumber will be able to fix any issues and keep your household plumbing in check. While this may seem like a conservative approach, keep in mind that unaddressed leaks can quickly take a turn for the worse.

#2 Invest in Water-Saving Fixtures

Your individual water footprint is something to consider whenever you’re renovating a home or replacing older plumbing systems. This is where finding the right plumbing fixtures can make all the difference.

Luxury instantaneous hot water systems and continuous flow showerheads have become increasing popular in recent years. While responsible use of these appliances is absolutely fine, overuse results in gallons of water waste.

Another way to address this issue is to invest in water-saving plumbing fixtures. Whether you purchase shut-off taps, low-flow showerheads or recirculating hot water systems, there are countless water saving alternatives on the market today. All of these fixtures serve your plumbing needs and offer an opportunity to conserve water in your daily chores.

#3 Eliminate Pre-Rinsing for Washing Machines and Dishwashers

Despite our arid climate, Australia’s average water consumption is actually greater than a vast majority of nations across the globe. This sobering fact makes the concept of water conservation even more important on an individual level. A simple measure that we can all take to reduce this consumption is to eliminate pre-rising for our washing machines and dishwashers.

While many people believe that washing dishes by hand is more eco-friendly, the reality is that dishwashers actually have a lower water footprint. If you are one of those people who take washing their clothes and utensils extra seriously, we have news for you. You may belong to a group of people who end up wasting a lot of water.

Here are two simple rules to remember

1. Not all of your clothes need to be pre-rinsed or soaked before a washing machine cycle
2. Not all of your dishes require a round of rinsing before you place them into a dishwasher.

#4 Go Conservative With Your Garden

Planting trees and plants is a great hobby with countless benefits. However, household gardening must be done in a responsible manner – particularly when we consider the gallons of indoor water Australians use on a daily basis.

So, how exactly can you maintain your garden and avoid excess waste?

The first step is to acknowledge any potential wastage and monitor the amount of water you require for regular upkeep. This way, you can begin to identify areas where excessive waste can be prevented.

When choosing plants, opt for native varieties that have already adapted to Australia’s dry climate. Exotic and foreign plants tend to consume more water to survive and grow. It is a good idea to use Smart Water Advice’s plant finder tool to choose plants that are well suited to our city’s climate. You should also use mulch and compost effectively to moderate the amount of absorption in your plants and soil in the garden.

In Melbourne, there are household guidelines in place as part of a larger set of permanent water saving rules. The use of sprinklers and other watering systems, for example, is only permitted between the hours of 6pm-10am. In many cases, automatic sprinklers waste hundreds of gallons of water per day.

#5 Reuse Greywater

Not all tasks require warm or cold water fresh from the tap. Greywater is the reusable wastewater generated from laundry, showers, baths and basins. If you are looking for a way to conserve water, this is often an invaluable source.

There are multiple ways to collect and reuse the greywater generated from your washing machines, showers and dishwashers. The first alternative is manual bucketing, which involves collecting all the greywater in a bucket for subsequent use at a later time.

Another low cost measure it to install systems that treat the greywater or simply divert it into the soil in your garden. This can also prove to be a great way to water your garden, as the grey water can be directly inserted into the soil surface which will help your plants grow effectively. Grey water is also a viable resource for flushing toilets and washing your clothes.

#6 Replace Hose Pipes With Buckets

When the time comes to wash the car, many of us automatically reach for the hose. While effective, household hoses use an excessive amount of water. Luckily, this is all avoided with a simple switch to any old run-of-the-mill buckets.

For activities such as cleaning your car or watering your lawn, buckets of cold or warm water will always do the trick. Another effective method is as follows – the next time you clean the car, position it next to your lawn so that any excess water serves a double purpose and takes care of both tasks in one go.

You can also save residual grey water from other chores in a tank or bucket and reuse it for other chores. If you use a hot water geyser at home, and the water runs cold before hot water servicing starts, store the hot water in a bucket so that you can reuse it to water plants or clean your car.

#7 Turn Off The Water If It’s Not Being Used

Before you go ahead and change your plumbing fixtures or other accessories you use to dispense water for various chores and tasks, it is a good idea to keep a check on your own water-consuming habits.

The only form of water consumption where you should not think too much about the amount of water you use is drinking. Other than that, it is wise to monitor all forms of water consumption so that you can identify potential sources of wastage and curb it before it gets out of hand.

For instance, if you are using the bathroom sink to rinse your hands or face, turn off the tap when you are applying soap. Or if you are washing your dishes in the sink, keep the tap turned off while you are soaping them up.

#8 Shorten Your Showers

The time you spend in the shower might very well be a deeply personal time, but it is good idea to remember the amount of water consumed in the process.

Whether you use the time to wash your hair, shave, sing or ponder life’s biggest questions, it is easy to bask under the warm water and lose track of time. Unfortunately, extended shower time requires gallons of water that could be better used for more important tasks.

Given Australia’s high-cost of living, reducing your shower time is also a great way to reduce energy bills. Of course, this is most relevant for households with gas based hot water systems. Keeping shower times under four minutes is something that we can all do to reduce our daily water consumption.

Learn to Conserve Water

For most people, water conservation does not come easily, and that is fine. Collectively, we can all take baby steps to become more responsible and reduce our water footprint — better late than never, right?

If you are confused and unsure where to start, MCN Plumbing are more than happy to help. Our team of professional plumbers are trained to assess and recommend plumbing changes that will help you conserve water.

Whether this involves the installation of water-smart appliances, fixing leaks or upgrading to a more efficient showerhead, we can connect you with a plumber in St Kilda, a plumber in Balwyn or a plumber in Greensborough – The MCN Plumbing team cover all corners of Melbourne.