16,132 gigalitres – that’s how much water Australians used in 2015-2016.
While that may seem like a lot of water being (literally) flushed away, this is actually down 7% from that of 2014-15 due to the reduced water consumption by the agricultural sector in New South Wales and Victoria.
When you break down the number of total consumptive use of water, only 1,899 of those gigalitres were consumed by households in the country, with household water expenditure sitting at around $5.4 million dollars.
While it might only seem like a drop in the ocean in the grand scheme of things, that’s still a lot of water and money.
And with the sweltering Australian summer well underway, we wouldn’t be surprised if even more water is going to be consumed over the next couple of months!
At H2-Pro Plumbing, we don’t blame you for using more water – after all, it’s summer! That said, we believe in responsible water use. That’s why we have come up with a couple of handy tricks you can use to save water during the summer season!
Check your pipes and taps
Did you know that a single leaky tap in your home can waste up to 20,000 litres of water a year?
It can be a real shock to hear. And with the amount of water being wasted, can you imagine how much this would cost you?
It’s always important to make sure your pipes are in good condition any time of the year… but it’s especially important during the summer months. We strongly recommend making sure you check your pipes and taps for any leaks.
Because most of the time, we don’t realise that we have problems with our pipes until our walls and ceilings start displaying signs of water damage… by which point, it can be far too late!
Any excess water coming out from under your sink, toilet and any other fixtures is one of the first perceptible signs that you might have a plumbing leak.
There may be a variety of reasons: it could be due to damage to your fixtures, low water pressure, or simply your pipes wearing away with age.
Whatever the cause, make sure you get it addressed as soon as possible. Need a plumber in Eltham, Doncaster, Warrandyte, or surrounds? Call H2-Pro on (03) 9844 1444 for the right diagnosis and solution for a leaky fixture or problematic plumbing system!
Keep your toilet flowing
Your toilet is not a garbage bin!
We know, it’s tempting to flush everything down the loo. It’s like a black hole – push the magical flush button and waste disappears, never to be seen again!
Flushing down things which were never designed to be flushed is one of the most common reasons behind blocked toilets. While it might seem like common knowledge, you’d be surprised how many nappies, cigarettes, and yes, even tissues, we find blocking people’s toilets.
When a pipe is blocked, more water will be pumped into the bowl every single time we attempt to flush it, risking backflow (yuck!)
To stop the risk of an overflowing toilet, break the habit! The only thing that should be flushed (beside the unmentionables) is toilet paper.
Take shorter showers
There’s nothing like a refreshing shower on a sweltering summer day!
While it always feels great to wash off the heat and feel reinvigorated this summer, we also need to find ways to save water in the summer months – and a good place to start with is your shower.
Saving water in your shower takes almost no effort, so there’s really no excuse for not picking up this habit.
You can start by looking at the time. Instead of taking long, luxurious showers, why not shorten it up a bit – cutting showering time to two minutes can save 1750 gallons in a year!
Another way we waste water in the shower is by letting it run until it becomes warm enough. Water can take a while to heat up – so instead of standing there waiting, why not catch the water that hasn’t warmed up yet in a bucket and use that to water your garden?
Install water-efficient appliances in your home
You can save a huge amount of water when you install and use plumbing fixtures that have been designed specifically to work with less water.
We strongly recommend looking at water saving fixtures for your showers, toilets, faucets and other parts of your home’s plumbing system.
And sure, it is an upfront investment – but these fixtures quickly start paying for themselves and will continue to for the long term: according to Your Energy Savings, by 2021, Australians could save more than $1 billion on our water and energy bills just by using more water-efficient appliances and fixtures.
Looking for ways to save water at home? Call a plumber in Eltham this festive season
Saving water during Australia’s summer isn’t rocket science. It’s a matter of being smart, responsible, efficient and conscious.
And with the help of H2Pro Plumbing, you can get started saving money on your water bills too!
If you need a domestic plumber in Eltham, Rosanna, and the surrounds, there’s only one name you need to know: H2-Pro Plumbing. Call us anytime over summer for any and all plumbing problems or emergencies in your home.
Better yet, why not save our number in your phone? (03) 9844 1444. You never know when you’ll need it!
