Top tips for using water wisely, while also keeping things green and clean in summer.
By following the Water Watchers Plan, you’re doing right by our water-supply streams so they can bring top quality water to our taps year-round. But we know it can be tricky to keep the veggie garden growing and the lawns lush in the hotter months, so we’ve pulled together our top tips and tricks to help you use water wisely.
Top water-saving tips
- Before you decide to water, stick your finger into the soil and if it is moist below the surface you don’t need to water.
- Frequent, light watering encourages shallow roots, so aim for longer but less frequent watering at the plants’ roots to encourage them to grow deeper in search of moisture. As a rule of thumb, watering (or rain) for less than 30 minutes twice a week is about right for average-sized gardens.
- Water in the evening when it’s cooler so your plants keep the moisture for longer.
- Get a trigger nozzle for your hose so water only goes where you want it to.
- Mulch your garden – it slows evaporating water and keeps weeds down too. Win win!
- Put a bucket in your shower and use this water again for watering (non-edible) plants.
- Keep your lawn long through summer to cover the roots – this helps to keep the moisture in. Also, it’s a good idea not to cut your lawn by more than a third of the grass length at one time for the same reason.
- Leave lawn clippings on the lawn to form a mini-mulch and retain moisture for longer.
- Micro-irrigation systems that deliver water at or below the ground surface are very efficient as they water plant roots, not leaves. The slow rate of water means it’s all absorbed by your plants too.
- Invest in a tap timer so irrigation or sprinkler systems aren’t accidently left on.
- When choosing new plants, choose ones that are native or suitable to the area as they’ll be used to growing in the Bay’s climate. You can also group plants with similar watering needs together to limit the areas that need watering and make sure the plants that don’t need much water aren’t taking away from the ones that need more.
- Keep on top of weeds as they compete for your plants’ water.
- Instead of tipping a glass or bottle of water down the sink, water a plant instead. Catch the water while waiting for it to warm up for your plants too.
- Keep water cool in a jug or bottle in the fridge rather than waiting for the tap to cool.
- Fill the sink or a container with a little water to wash your veggies instead of running the tap, and you can then reuse this water for your plants or garden.
- Use enough water to just cover your vegetables when boiling and keep the lid on the pot. They’ll cook quicker, and it will save you water, power, and keep more vitamins in the vegetables.
- Use green food scraps bin bin rather than your sink’s food processor/waste disposal unit/Insinkerator – sometimes called a gurgler! – as they use about 6 litres of water a day. Gurglers make it harder and more expensive for our treatment plants to process the water to the point it’s okay to send out to sea. Instead of loading the wastewater treatment plants and wasting water, use your green bin to turn your food scraps into compost.
- Always put the plug in when doing dishes to save water going to waste. Also, New Zealand’s beloved and pink-haired microbiologist Dr. Siouxsie Wiles doesn’t rinse her soapy dishes, so leave yours to drip-dry instead!
- Only turn on the dishwasher when it’s full.
- Pick up some cheap, flow-controlled aerators for your taps to reduce their water flow by up to 50%. Find more information on water efficiency checks.
- If you’re choosing new tapware or appliances, look for the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS). The more stars, the more water efficient the tapware is.
- Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth. Keep the good stuff from your toothpaste on your teeth and spit rather than rinse too.
- Fill the basin with a little warm water when shaving, rather than rinsing under the tap.
- Take 4-minute showers and put a timer in the shower for the kids. You can also get a free water-efficient showerhead. Find more information on showerhead exchange.
- Put a bucket in your shower and use this water again for watering (non-edible) plants. If you’re bathing kids or pets, only fill the bath to the level they need.
- You can reuse the bath water for your garden or to wash your car too.
- Use the half-flush when you can.
- If you have an older toilet, put a water-filled plastic bottle or brick in your cistern to reduce the amount of water used with each flush, or contact waterline@tauranga.govt.nz for a free weight that will do this.
- Check if your toilet leaks by putting a piece of dry toilet paper at the back of your toilet.
- If it gets wet, the cistern is leaking. Or book in for a free water efficiency check. If you’re choosing new tapware or toilets, look for the ones with the most WELS stars.
- Give it the sniff test – just because it’s been worn, doesn’t mean it needs to be washed.
- Only do your washing when you’ve got enough to fill the machine to save water and energy.
- Use the economy settings on your washing machine. Reducing the wash to one rinse cycle rather than two will also save up to 100 litres of water per wash.
- If you’re buying a new washing machine, choose a front loader. They use about 50% less water, 35% less detergent, and 30% less energy. Also look for the machine with the most WELS stars.
- Check for drips and leaking taps – it’s water and money down the drain! Also check your plugs. Or book in for a free water efficiency check.
- See if your hot water system thermostat is set to around the recommended 60 degrees Celsius. Adding cold water to cool down very hot water is wasteful.
- Insulate your hot water pipes to get the hot water to your tap faster (and save on your power bill).
- Install a plumbing device that allows the cold water to be recirculated until it warms up.
- Use a broom to clear cobwebs from around the soffits and eaves of your home.
- Use a bucket/water spray bottle and squeegee to wash down windows.
- Sweep your paths and decks instead of hosing them clean.
- Take a break this summer and get a commercial house cleaning company (with an approved Smart Water Plan) to do the jobs around home.
- If you’re looking to buy a water blaster, choose the most water-efficient one you can (we recommend one that uses less than 8 litres per minute).
- Wash your boat or car on the grass, which keeps your grass greener and also protects our stormwater from soapy runoff. The grass filters the soap out of the water, rather than sending it to our ocean.
- Take your car to a local car wash that uses recycled water:
- BP Connect Tauranga - 1058 Cameron Road, Tauranga
- BP Connect Tauriko - 1 Taurikura Drive, Tauriko
- Challenge Tauriko - 1 Matakokiri Drive, Tauriko
- BP Connect Mount Maunganui - 570 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui
- BP Connect Bruce Road - 48 Bruce Road, Tauranga
- Z Palm Beach - 16 Domain Road, Pāpāmoa
- Wash N Shine - 230 Parton Road, Pāpāmoa
- Save time and water by embracing a dirty car over summer.
- Use a pool cover to prevent 97% of its water from evaporating, so you don’t need to top it up as often. It’ll also keep leaves and debris from falling into it.
- Regularly check on your pool or spa pool’s PH levels to keep it nice for swimming rather than needing to refill from scratch.
- Put in your Smart Water Plan application in ahead of summer if you’re going to fill your pool or pop-up pool for summer. The Plan helps us to manage the city’s water.