Eumundi Voice - Issue 84, 21 December 2023

Water saving tips

Apart from greening our lawns the recent rainfall has done little to top-up many of the regions' dams and rivers. Households who rely on tank water have had to resort to purchasing water to top-up their tanks during the dry spell.

Thirty years ago our water consumption was just over 500 litres/person/day and there was no incentive to save water as you paid an annual water rate and could use as much as you like. The introduction of water meters and water charges based on how much you use changed that.

New habits and technology such as dual-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads have dropped the average consumption in Brisbane to around 169 litres/person/day.

There are many things we can do to reduce our water consumption:

• Don’t turn taps on quite as far.

• Turn the tap off when brushing teeth.

• Clean paths and driveways with a broom not a hose.

• Wash your car with a bucket and cloth instead of a hose.

• Only wash when you have a full load of laundry.

• Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the size of your load.

• Make sure the dishwasher is full before turning it on.

• Don’t pre-rinse dishes, scrape them before loading into the dishwasher.

Remember we all share our water resources. If you are on tank water you are probably familiar with becoming more frugal as the levels drop. Town water comes from a river or dam and others also rely on that water – so be water aware!