HOT TIPS FOR SAVING WATER

Water is a precious commodity which can be in short supply during our summers. Water conservation should be practised at all times to ensure water is used wisely.

Most people think water conservation is in the garden but there are also many methods to conserve water in the house. A few methods are listed below. If you know of others please advise us.

Water Conservation in the House 

• Have a shorter shower
• Turn the tap off when you clean your teeth
• Use the dishwasher and washing machine only when full
• Reduce the flow from the toilet cistern by putting a brick or plastic bottle filled with water in the cistern
• Don't wash your vegetables under running water
• Stop that dripping tap
• Shower instead of having a bath
  
• Use a dual-flush toilet, you can use only half the water when needed
  
• Check for leaks - A leaking toilet can waste more than 16,000 litres in a year. Even a slow drip from a tap can waste 200 or more litres in a day!
• Install Water Flow Restrictors - Many shower heads put out 20 litres per minute, when 10 litres per minute is more than adequate. Major hardware or plumbing shops stock devices which restrict the flow of water. Also, the less water you use in the shower, the more you save on heating costs.

Water Conservation in the Garden

• Use a trigger hose
• Water the roots, not the leaves - watering the leaves of trees and shrubs just increases water loss through evaporation. In fact, on hot sunny days doing this may damage your plants.
• Use a good mulch - Mulches can prevent up to 73% evaporation loss. The best mulch is a well-rotted compost which will also improve the soil structure.
• Hoses are not play things! - Children squirting water at each other wastes around 1,000 litres of water every hour!
• Wash your car using only a bucket of water
• Don't water the paths, or even the lawn.
• In dry parts of the garden, grow plants that are tolerant to dry conditions
• Water the garden early in the morning or in the evening.
• Give the garden a good water once or twice a week.
• A tap timer can be a wonderful investment and turn the tap off for you.
• Water retention products are now available for pots, tubs or dry areas of the garden.
• Sweep the courtyard - don't hose it
• Use water from the washing machine in your garden
• Avoid planting in the middle of the day
• Move containers to a shady spot
• Use windbreaks and shade fabrics to minimise the need to water