Leave Target 155 for dead: How to use less than 100 litres of water a day
The state government wants you to cut your water usage to 155 litres a day. But really, we think you can do better than that. A lot better. Aim a little higher and Target 100. And lets show the government what we're made of.
Did you know the water saved by using 100 litres of water per person a day instead of 155 would be 78 billion litres? This is more water than the government expects through the $750 million north-south pipeline from the Goulburn River.
Despite storage levels being slightly higher than this time last year, they remain dangerously low and the rivers that feed them – the Thomson and the Yarra – are under great stress from long-term reductions in their flow. And with climate change knocking on our door, the pressures on our rivers and storages look set to be the new norm unless we get serious about permanent water savings.
So we’re talking tough. But don’t tell the government that getting below 100 litres a day is actually pretty easy, or it will ruin our tough image.
Here are some tips to give you the kind of water bill you can show off to your neighbours.
1. Go dual flush. Or DIY dual flush
If you’ve got a single flush toilet and you’re in Melbourne, get it replaced with a dual flush at a heavily subsidised cost. Alternatively, try putting an object like a bottle of water, in the cistern. It will reduce your water use, and in most cisterns will still send your number twos happily down the pipeline. Another option is ingenious little gadgets from hardware stores which stop the toilet flushing as soon as you lift your finger off the button – voilà, a half flush. They cost less than $15 and just sit inside the flush mechanism, which means that if you’re a renter you can still use them.
2. More nifty gadgets
If you don’t already have flow restrictors or tap aerators, it’s time to head down to your hardware store and pick some up for less than $10 a pop. They’re really easy to install onto your taps, and they dramatically reduce the flow, while still feeling like plenty of water.
3. Got an evaporative cooler?
These are much better than refrigerated air conditioners, but they use a lot of water. Cut your water usage by using a fan first, and only turning on the cooler when you really need it. Then make sure you cool just the room you’re in and don’t use all that water and energy to cool the empty rooms, the hallway, the bathroom – really, your bathroom wont be offended.
4. Save water in the laundry
If you’re thinking about getting a new washing machine, make sure it’s a front loader with a high star rating. If new white goods aren’t on the cards, don’t worry. Making sure you only wash when you really need to and when you have a full load will save plenty of water.
5. Make your garden less thirsty
Give the soil lots of compost, and it will take much longer to dry out. Then throw on mulch. Lots of it. You can even get a rebate for buying it. Also, consider replacing water hungry plants with less hungry alternatives, like indigenous plants, or pebbles and succulents. If you have plants that are wilting in the heat, a shade cloth, or even some old lacy curtain, can help them get through the scorchers.
6. Tanks (and cheaper alternatives)
Tanks are a great idea, especially with the help of our friends the rebates. If they aren’t an option for you but you want to keep a garden alive without drinking water, check out the other large containers available in hardware stores. Attach them with a downpipe diverter – it’s the kind of thing you might even be able to convince a friendly landlord to let you do, because you can direct the water back down the downpipe when you leave.
7. Only using your water once?
If you’ve got a garden, then letting water go down the drain after only one use is a tragedy. You can ward off tragedy with a grey water diverter systems, a pipe from your washing machine, a diverter attached to the u-bend in your basin, or ye olde bucket in the shower. As long as you follow a few suggestions to keep your grey water healthy, your garden will love you for it.
8. Fix those leaking taps
A dripping tap can waste 24,000 litres of water a year, and they're really not that hard to fix. We'll even tell you how.
9. Showers, showers, showers
We know you’ve heard it before, but showers guzzle nearly half of the water we use in the home. If you haven’t already got a water saving showerhead, get in touch with your water retailer and enjoy getting something for free. If you don’t have one because, like my mother, you’re worried about if it will match the taps, put a flow restrictor in the shower instead.
10. And that means shorter showers too
You can put a lot of effort saving a few litres of water in the kitchen, but two minutes less in the shower and you’ve automatically saved 18-30 litres. Phew. If you get yourself a shower timer (from a hardware store for a couple of dollars), you’ll have the four minute shower down pat in no time. And then it’s time to start impressing your neighbours with your low, low water usage.
Made it to Target 100?
Wonder how we can secure Melboure's water supplies and water for the Yarra River without a desalination plant or pipeline to the north? Its absolutely possible
