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Bathroom water conservation tips

We’ve all heard variations of phrases like money down the drain, or job down the toilet, and it’s really no surprise that bathroom water use has become a metaphor for waste.

Bathrooms account for nearly half of all water used in the home and a lot of that is wasted. 

Together we can make a difference if we’re all mindful of a few key habits and willing to make some easy changes.

Taps

A running tap uses about 12 litres of water per minute and a dripping tap can waste up to 12,000 litres a year.

  • Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth. Wet your brush and use a glass for rinsing.
  • Don’t rinse your razor under a running tap. Filling the basin with a little warm water is just as effective and less wasteful.
  • Repair any leaks as soon as possible

Baths

Baths can use less water than showers if you follow these tips.

  • Only fill the tub with as much water as needed. Use less for children and pets.
  • Check the temperature as you fill. Adding extra water to get the correct temperature after the bath is at the right level is wasteful.
  • Regularly check your plug for leaks and replace as necessary.
  • Use your bath water to water the garden or wash your car.

Showers

Modern water efficient showerheads use no more than 9 litres of water per minute, while old style showerheads use up to 20 litres per minute. Upgrading your showerhead could save 50 litres of water per shower!

  • Install a water efficient showerhead. Apply free to our Showerhead Exchange Programme.
  • Take shorter showers. This saves water and cuts costs on heating water.
  • Limit your shower to 4 minutes and use a shower timer. There are different types available from a manual egg timer to a more modern one.
  • Use a bucket to collect water while waiting for the shower to get hot and keep it in there while you shower. Use that water on your garden.
  • Shave your legs before taking a shower. Use running shower water to rinse off.
  • Insulate hot water pipes. This avoids wasting water while waiting for hot water to flow through, and saves on heating costs.
  • Consider an instantaneous water heater if your existing water heater is located some distance to the bathroom. Talk to a plumber first to make sure it will work adequately with your showerhead.
  • Make sure your hot water system thermostat is not set too high. Adding cold water to reduce the temperature of very hot water is wasteful.

Toilets

A quarter of the water we use in the bathroom is flushed down the toilet.

Installing a water efficient dual flush toilet can save the average home up to 35,000 litres per year.  The use just 4.5 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush. This is a massive saving when compared with 18 litres for older toilets

Buying a new toilet or renovating a bathroom won’t be realistic for most people but there are still a few things you can do.

  • Put a water filled plastic bottle or brick in your cistern to reduce the volume used with each flush
  • Fix leaks - a leaky toilet can waste 60,000-90,000 litres a year. Check for leaks by putting a piece of toilet paper at the back of the toilet bowl. If it gets wet the cistern is leaking.
Posted: Oct 14, 2022,

Tauranga City Council, Private Bag 12022, Tauranga, 3143, New Zealand |Terms of use|Privacy statement|Site map

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