While summer is a great time to get out of the house, spend time at the beach or maybe organise a traditional Aussie BBQ, one thing that isn’t so hot about season can be the temperature.
We certainly don’t blame you for taking every opportunity you can to escape the scorching heat – Australian summers are infamous worldwide for a reason!
Try as we might to conserve water, the simple truth is that summer is H-O-T.
And with high temperatures comes more water usage – more frequent showers to wash away the heat, drinking more water than usual or filling up the backyard pool.
All this reinforces the importance of saving water during the Australian summer. No doubt we all know the importance of saving water – who could forget that huge drought in the early 2000s and the water restrictions that came with it?
With the drought fresh on everybody’s minds, we’ve put together this handy list of ways to cut down your own water usage and save a couple dollars too during the summer months. They may only be small changes – but it’s the little things that add up to create change.
Find clever ways to recycle water during summer
We waste a lot of water during our day-to-day lives:
- Waiting for the shower to warm up
- Washing vegetables for dinner
- Brushing our teeth
Starting by finding tactics to reduce the amount of water we use performing these day-to-day activities is a great way to reduce the amount of water you consume this summer.
For instance, have you ever thought about putting a bucket under your showerhead as you wait for the water to warm up? Or reusing the water you use to wash vegetables and fruits to water plants?
There are a lot of ways to recycle water and it only takes creativity and initiative to do so. In Australia, only about 15% of industrial and urban water is recycled. Recycling water is one best way to help lessen the usage of the water source and waste.
Tap troubles
- Do you turn the tap off when you’re cleaning your teeth?
- How about when you lather up or shave in the shower?
- Do you fill your cup with more water than you need when you brush your teeth?
You’d be surprised at how often we waste water in the smallest ways – if you’ve caught yourself doing any of these things at one point or another, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
Letting the water flow without using it is just a waste, plain and simple. Being aware of these tiny ways you use up precious water is the first step towards fixing the problem – so whenever you’re not actually using water, remember to switch your taps off!
Wait for your washing machine
Saving water isn’t just about finding clever strategies to catch the water we’d normally waste and reducing the amount of water usage that isn’t essential – it’s also about being more efficient with the water that you do have to use.
Take your washing, for instance. While you mightn’t be able to avoid doing the laundry or have much control over the amount of water your washing machine uses, what you can do is be more efficient!
And that means washing more clothes using a single wash cycle. Instead of doing the laundry on Saturday because it’s simply “laundry day”, could you wait an extra day or two until the machine is full?
Not only does it increase the amount of washing you can get done in one day, but it also reduces the need for a second wash later to catch up!
Do you have leaky taps? Fix them!
Drip. Drip. Drip.
We’re all familiar with the slow and steady sound of a leaky tap somewhere in the house. You might even be used to it by now… make no mistake however, while it might not sound like a big water-waster, a leaking tap is one of the most insidious wasters of water. A single dripping tap could waste up to 20,000 litres of water a year!
Invisible leaks
Your also need to consider the presence of hidden leaks.
Many of the pipes and water fixtures within a house run through your walls, ceilings and underneath your floorboards. Accumulated drops coming from a leaky faucet can add up to litres of water over a period of time. Not to mention, stagnant water can cause significant damage to ceilings, walls, and the overall foundation of your home.
If one of these fixtures springs a leak, you might not realise until your quarterly water bill comes in or your ceiling starts showing some nasty water stains. By this point, the damage has been done.
Determine whether your home is suffering from hidden leaks is simple enough – just turn off all your taps and check your water meter after a certain period of time for any changes.
Finding out exactly where the hidden leaks are and fixing them without damaging your home, on the other hand? That’s a completely different story.
That’s where a plumbing professional comes in.
Choose water-efficient appliances in your home
Saving water can be as easy or as difficult as you want to be. While they might not seem like much, these small, easy changes can go a long way towards lifting the burden on our water reservoirs – not to mention, your wallet!
If you’re serious about replacing old, outdated, and wasteful appliances with modern, water-efficient ones, read this blog post. It’s filled with lots of helpful information to guide you towards making smart choices when it comes to new fixtures.
Need an emergency plumber throughout Christmas?
All summer, you can rely on Watermaster’s emergency plumber for all your unexpected plumbing woes. From burst pipes to toilet overflows to that unmistakable smell of gas: call our emergency plumber service 24 hours a day.
Why not save our number in your phone? You never know when you’ll need it – and your future self will thank you: 1300 156 650.