In your home

Studies have shown that most of us use more than half of our water inside our homes. Of that, most of it is in the bathroom. Below are some tips for saving water around your home. This is great for the environment, and can also help to reduce your water bills.

		How to save water at your home

Save water in your bathroom

The simplest way is to install a water-efficient shower head, saving up to 11 litres of water every minute. You can also:

1. Take shorter showers. 
2. Install a dual flush toilet. This can save you up to 50 per cent on every flush.
3. Check for a leaking toilet cistern. It's easy to do: just put food colouring in the cistern and if the colour shows in the toilet bowl without flushing, you've got a leak.
4. Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth, lathering your hands or shaving.
5. Install aerators on your taps. Aerators mix air with your water, reducing water flow without affecting pressure.

Save water in your laundry

A good way to save water in the laundry is to install a water-efficient washing machine. You can also:

1. Adjust settings to suit load. If you don't have a fully-loaded washing machine, adjust the load setting to the volume of your washing.
2. Fix dripping taps. Read our leak detection guide to find out if you have a leak you can't see.
3. Install aerators on your taps. Aerators mix air with your water. They reduce water flow without affecting pressure.
4. Consider using greywater from the laundry on the garden. Before you do this, make sure you can meet any required planning, health and plumbing requirements

Save water in your kitchen

One of the best ways to save water in your kitchen is to install aerators, which stop too much water use without affecting the pressure. You can also:

1. Choose water-efficient appliances. Many new appliances have a Water Efficiency and Labelling Standards label to help you make a good choice.
2. Only turn the dishwasher on when it's full and make sure you use the right wash settings.
3. Fill the sink. You can be water efficient by filling the sink with only the amount of water you need, rather than washing dishes under a running tap.
4. Collect water in a bowl or jug whenever you need to run the taps, and use it on your garden. Do this when you're waiting for water to heat up or cool down. You can also do this when washing vegetables.
5. Fix dripping taps. Read our leak detection guide to find out if you have a leak you can't see.

Use water-wise appliances

You can save water and money just by choosing water-wise appliances.

To help you choose the most water efficient appliances, Australia has mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS). Labels apply to all showerheads, washing machines, toilets and urinals, dishwashers and some types of taps.

The scheme includes minimum water efficiency standards for toilets. Labels on flow-control devices are optional.

This scheme tells you how water efficient a product is. The more stars on the label, the more water-efficient the product. Choosing to buy only high efficiency products will help you save water.

More handy tips on using water efficiently in your home can be found in the video below.