Conserve Water Notice Still In Place

While the recent rain was a welcome relief, topped up private water tanks and watered our gardens it has not put us in a position where we can relax the conserve water notice.

The sprinkler and automated irrigation system ban is still in place. residents are able to use a handheld hose for short periods of time or a bucket.

With dry weather and no significant rain forecast for the next 10 days, our water supply is under strain. We need to keep vigilant and do everything we can to keep our water usage to a minimum.

Check out these water saving tips, even just doing one or two will help.

1. Check your toilet for leaks.

Put a few drops of food colouring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the colouring begins to appear in the bowl., you have a leak that may be wasting more than 378.541 litres of water a day.

2. Don’t flush your toilet during the night unless you really need to. Use the half flush if you have one

Every flush also flushes away 18 to 26 litres of water.

3. Take shorter showers

A typical shower uses 18 to 37 litres of water a minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rise off. Put a bucket in the shower while it warms up to catch the water and use it in the garden.

4. Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors

Your hardware or plumbing supply store stocks inexpensive shower heads or flow restrictors that will cut your shower flow to about 11 litres a minute instead of 18 to 37. They are easy to install, and your showers will still be cleansing and refreshing.

5. Take baths

A partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.

6. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth

Before brushing, wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing your mouth.

7. Turn off the water while shaving

Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of warm water in which to rinse your razor.

8. Check faucets and pipes for leaks

Even a small drip can waste 189 Litres or more of water a day.

9. Use your automatic dishwasher for full loads only

Running your dishwasher less often saves water and money.

10. Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads only

Your automatic washer uses 113 to 132 litres per cycle.

11. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables

Rinse your vegetables instead in a bowl or sink full of clean water.

12. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator

This puts a stop to the wasteful practice of running tap water to cool it for drinking.

13. If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing

If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you have only one sink, first gather all your washed dishes in a dish rack, then rinse them quickly with a spray device or a pan of water.

14. Check faucets and pipes for leaks

Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An inexpensive washer is usually enough to stop them.

15. Water your lawn only when it needs it

Watering on a regular schedule doesn't allow for cool spells or rainfall which reduce the need for watering. Step on some grass. If it springs back up when you move your foot, it doesn't need water.

16. Water during the cool parts of the day

Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.

17. Plant drought-resistant trees and plants

Many beautiful trees and plants thrive without irrigation.

18. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants.

Mulch slows the evaporation of moisture.

19. Use a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks and steps

Using a hose wastes hundreds and hundreds of litres of water.

20. Don't run the hose while washing your car

Soap down your car from a pail of soapy water. Use a hose only to rinse it off.

21. Tell your children not to play with the hose and sprinklers

Children love to play under a hose or sprinkler on a hot day. Unfortunately, this practice is extremely wasteful of precious water and should be discouraged.

22. Check for leaks in pipes, hoses faucets and couplings

Leaks outside the house are easier to ignore since they don't mess up the floor or keep you awake at night. However, they can be even more wasteful than inside water leaks especially when they occur on your main water line.