Water conservation starts in the home. With a little thought and care, in-home water use can be greatly reduced with very little inconvenience. Think about the water you use… and use it wisely.

Here are some tips for reducing in-home water use:

• Run washing machines and dishwashers at full capacity whenever possible. This insures you get the greatest benefit from the water you use.

• Doing a small wash? Make sure you set the water level in your machine so that only the needed amount of water is used.

• Wash your hands under slow running taps and shut the water off when brushing your teeth. 

• Don’t use the toilet as a garbage can - some toilets use up to 20 litres per flush.

• Repair leaky faucets and plumbing fixtures. A leaking toilet or dripping faucet can waste hundreds of litres of water a month. To test your toilet for leaks put some food colouring in the tank and wait a few minutes – don’t flush.  If colour starts to appear in the bowl, you know you have a leaky toilet.

• Just about time to redo your bath and kitchen? Replace those old plumbing fixtures with new low flow fixtures that use less water. A low flow shower head can reduce water consumption up to 50%. A new water efficient toilet can lower water use from the 20 litres a flush that you old toilet uses down to 6 litres a flush for the lowest flow toilet