WATER WISE Tips

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY CAIRNS LOCAL NEWS

Waterwise time in the laundry

DAVID GARDINER

ALTHOUGH we do live in the tropics and we experience a good supply of rainfall each year, we still use too much water. Cairns Regional Council predicts we could run short within the next five years if new infrastructure is not urgently built.

Let’s build the infrastructures, but also reduce our water consumption. We waste too much water, and we all have a part to play in reducing our average daily consumption.

In Cairns and its surrounding areas, by changing some of our habits we can save water, save money and save the environment.

The laundry is an important area of the home where we can make changes in our daily routines to save water.

Used water from a washing machine can be recycled in some gardens or when properly connected, even to flush toilets.

Saving water makes sense, it will save each ratepayer money.

We should not be fooled into thinking we have enough water just because we live in a wet region. We do not have unlimited storage capacity as a region, so we need to turn the tap off earlier and not waste water. Here are some top tips for WATER WISE Tips

● Select a washing machine with a 4-star rating or better. Front-loading washing machines can use up to 50 per cent less water, 35 per cent less detergent and 30 per cent less energy than top-loading machines. A good resource for information about how to check your machine for efficiency is waterrating.gov.au

● Pre-treat stains to limit the need to rewash

● When adjusting warm water flow, always turn the hot water down rather than the cold water up

● Divert greywater from your washing machine for immediate use on your garden (except vegetables)