Have you fixed your leaky taps? Do you take shorter showers? Do you turn off the tap when you brush your teeth?

Most householders in Australia have embraced water conservation measures as part of their daily lives.

It is important we value the water we use every day.

There are a few simple things you can do around the home to ensure you and your family are managing your water use wisely.

When purchasing a new fixture or appliance look out for the water efficiency 5A or 5 star labels

In the bathroom:

• Install a AAA+ rated shower rose. A daily five minute old-fashioned shower uses up to 45,000 litres of water a year. The same shower habits using a AAA rated shower rose uses 16,500 litres – a huge saving! Water efficient roses also save you energy costs because you will use less hot water.
• To rinse your razor, run a little water into a plugged sink. Rinsing your razor under a running tap wastes a lot of water.
• Turn the tap off while you brush your teeth.
• Install a rainwater tank and have a plumber hook it up to your hot water supply

In the kitchen:

• Put a plug in the sink when you wash your vegetables.
• Save water when you cook – steaming or microwaving your vegetables uses less water than boiling. Steamed vegetables are likely to retain more goodness and flavour than boiled vegetables.
• Scrape dishes instead of rinsing them.
• Don’t turn on the dishwasher until it is full. If you can afford a water efficient AAA+ rated dishwasher, buy one. A regular dishwasher uses about 37 litres of water per load, but a AAA+ rated dishwasher uses about 16 litres.
• Slow the flow – water efficient taps, flow control devices and tap aerators are all great, inexpensive ways to cut your water usage without you even noticing.
• Thaw frozen foods before you need them or use the microwave instead of placing them under running water.
• Keep a container of water in the fridge so that you won’t need to run the water down the sink until it’s cool enough to drink.

In the laundry:

About 20% of a household’s water is used in the laundry.
A good washing machine with a water efficiency rating of AAA or better can reduce your laundry water use by 65%.

• Only turn on the washing machine when it has a full load
• Try to use phosphate-free laundry powder, it is more gentle on the environment and better for your lawns if you divert your washing machine water
• Remember to regularly clean the lint filter on your washing machine
• Install a rainwater tank and hook it up to your laundry
• Consider re-using the rinse water or diverting it to the garden to water the plants.

In the toilet:

About 15% of the water you use is flushed down the toilet.
If you flush an old-fashioned 11 litre toilet five times a day you will use 60,200 litres every year.
The same flushing habits with an AAA-rated 6.3 litre dual flush toilet uses 19,700 litres – a huge saving. While the new Smart Flush 4.5/3 litre toilets use even less!

• Fix the leak! A leaking toilet can waste 96,000 litres of water a year.
• Install a dual flush toilet.
• Install a rainwater tank and have the plumber hook it up to your toilet.