Top 5 tips to save water in your home

Sometimes the solution is so simple it can be overlooked – here are the first five things you should check for in your home when you are looking to cut down on your household water usage.

General household water usage allocation

1. Check for leaks!

Check your indoor water using appliances and devices for leaks.  Many silent leaks allow water and your money to go down the drain.  Keep an eye on your meter.  Studies have shown homes can waste more than 10% due to leaking which costs both you and the environment.  Another large water waster can be leaks in your irrigation system.  Fix irrigation system leaks quickly and check for water in the gutters or mud puddles.  Inspect your sprinklers and drip sprayers regularly for leaks during the daytime since the optimal time to water is in the nighttime hours when you cannot observe leaks.  If you have an older irrigation system, over 50% and even more than 75% of the water can be lost to leaks.

2. Replace your old toilet, the largest water user inside your home.

If your home was built before 1992 and the toilet has never been replaced, then it is very likely that you do not have a water efficient 6 litre per flush toilet.  You can check the date stamp inside the toilet by lifting the lid and looking at the back of the toilet at the manufacturer’s imprint of the make, model and date of manufacture.

3. Replace your washing machine, the second largest water user in your home.

Energy star rated washers that also have a Water Factor at or lower than 9.5, use 35-50% less water and 50% less energy per load.  This saves you money on both your water and energy bills.

4. Plant the right plants with proper landscape design and irrigation

Whether you are putting in a new landscape or slowly changing the current landscaping at your home, select plants that are appropriate for your local climate conditions (choose indigenous).  Having a yard with 100% lawn turf area in a dry desert climate uses significant amounts of water.

5. Get an energy-efficient dish washer and watch your water usage

Try not to over rinse your dishes before loading the dishwasher.  Make sure you wash only full loads in the dishwasher.  An efficient dishwasher will use much less water than washing dishes by hand.  Install a low-flow faucet aerator, which can cut water use in half.  When buying a new dishwasher, consider purchasing a water saving model (new models will use up to 25% less water than older ones.  You can save up to 10 liter’s per load with a new washing machine!