Strathfield Municipal Council

Conserving Water at Home

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Conserving water at home

There are many ways in which you can make a difference to your overall water use at home. They include:

  • Install a dual flush toilet.
  • Install a low flow shower head.
  • Reduce the amount of water contained within the toilet cistern by placing a brick or plastic drink container filled with sand.
  • Use native plants in your garden.
  • Use the WaterRight Garden Webtool to calculate how much water your gardne needs.
  • Check for leaks in toilets, showers, and taps.
  • Change your lifestyle : shorter showers.
  • Install a rainwater tank for rainwater and grey water.

Where do I start?

Like most things in life its easiest to break things up into manageable unit.

The main areas we use water in the home are:

  • Outdoors
  • Bathroom
  • Laundry
  • Kitchen
  • Put your resources into the areas where you use the most water first – achieve better savings

Outdoors

A large amount of water used is outdoors (around 25%)

It makes good sense to address this area

Outdoor water use can include watering the garden and washing the car (don't forget water restrictions)

Water restrictions

The level 3 restrictions are:

  • Hand-held hosing of lawns and gardens and drip irrignation is allowed only on Wednesdays and Sundays before 10am and after 4pm
  • No other watering systems or sprinklers are to be used at any time
  • A permit from Sydney Water is required to fill new or renovated pools bigger than 10 000 litres
  • No hosing of hard surfaces including vehicles at any time
  • No hoses or taps to be left running unattended, except when filling pools or containers
  • Fire hoses must only be used for fire fighting purposes – not for cleaning

In the garden – use mulch

  • Mulch reduces evaporation by 70%
  • Mulch gives soil greater water holding capacity
  • Mulch also keeps out weeds, adds nutrients
  • Can use leaves, newspaper, straw, woodchips

Choose drought tolerant species

  • Native plants are locally adapted to drought and low nutrient soils (use less water and fertilisers)
  • Enhance local biodiversity
  • Use plants native to Strathfield

Tips on watering

  • Water when its cool (never in the middle of the day) to reduce evaporation
  • Don't water on windy days (wastes water)
  • Water deeply but less often but to encourage deep rooted plants (that can source water)
  • Drip irrigation systems use less water than sprinklers (sprinklers cannot be used under water restrictions)

Bathroom

  • The bathroom is a significant area for water use
  • Toilets 23%, shower 20%, basins and bath 6%
  • Older style single flush toilets use up to 12 litres per flush
  • If buying a new toilet get a dual flush one average around 4 litres per flush, saves 35,000 litres per year
  • You don't need to spend lots of money
  • Can purchase small gadgets to reduce the volume used with each flush ($10 - $20)
  • Work by causing the toilet to flush only for the duration that you hold the button down
  • Check for leaks by putting a few drops of food dye into the cistern. Coloured water will appear in the bowl before the toilet has been flushed if there's a leak
  • Install a AAA rated shower head
  • AAA rated showerheads use no more than 9 litres of water per minute, while old style showerheads use 15 – 20 litres per minute
  • A water efficient showerhead can save up to 50 litres of water for each shower, or 20 000 litres of water per person per year.
  • Easiest and cheapest – take shorter showers

Laundry

  • Washing machines can use up to a bathtub full of water per load.
  • Wait until you have a full load saves 10 L of water for every wash
  • If you are buying a new machine, choose AAA or better
  • Remember that. Using a AAA rated washing machine can cut your water usage by 35%.

Kitchen

  • Don’t leave taps running
  • Washing your fruit and vegetables in a sink half filled with water saves 15 litres of water every time
  • Better still use a small bucket and re-use the water on the garden
  • Fix leaks (24 000L per year)
  • Reduce flow rate
  • Aerators restrict the flow of water from your tap without reducing water pressure. Fit an aerator to your taps and reduce the amount of water you use by more than 50%. Free from Sydney Water
  • An automatic dishwasher can use more than 40 litres per cycle. Wait for a full load
  • Dishwashers with at least a AAA-rating can use as little as 18 litres per load.

Services

  • Sydney Water’s “Water Fix Service” For a one-off $22 payment a qualified plumber will visit your home to install water saving devices and check for minor leaks
  • Sydney Water is offering a free Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Water Saving Kit containing tap aerators and flow regulators
  • Neco Home Assessment ($99) comprehensive water and energy assessment of your home

Greywater Systems

Greywater is wastewater from:

  • Showers
  • Baths
  • Hand basins
  • Laundry tubs
  • Washing machines
  • Grey water is not sewerage
  • Grey water makes up 65% of all waste water

For more information on Grey Water.

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