Every Little Step Challenge – Week 7: Waste less water in the bathroom

With the current drought being recognised as the worst on record, water has never been more precious and we should be doing everything we can to reduce water usage. When it comes to saving water in the home, our first thoughts are about making bigger sacrifices; like reducing the water we use in the garden, taking shorter showers or washing the car less often. Making these sacrifices is undoubtedly important, but many of us may still be unnecessarily wasting water in less noticeable ways due to poor habits.

Here are some little steps that can go a long way in reducing the amount of water that you use:

1. Turning off the tap while brushing teeth, washing hands and faces:

Seemingly a small step, but leaving the tap running can waste around 6 litres of water each time you brush.  Since most people brush their teeth twice a day, that’s 4,380 litres of water annually!

2. Use the half flush

Toilets are another cause of ‘no benefit water waste’ in bathrooms. Each full flush of the toilet can use as much as 6 litres of water. But often a half flush is all that’s needed, and reduces the water usage by 50% each time.  Maybe even don’t flush for number ones?

3. Smarter showers

Most people will run the shower briefly to get it up to temperature before stepping in. If we invest a few seconds effort, and put a bucket under the shower flow while it reaches the ideal temperature, those litres of water can be saved for a child’s bath, watering plants, or other uses around the home. Shaving legs while the shower is running takes around 4 minutes, and wastes huge amounts of water, compared to the more efficient option of turning off the shower, and rinsing the razor in a cup of water.

4. Maintain your water system

Reduce water usage and water bill costs by ensuring that the water system is well maintained and free from leaks. Poorly maintained taps, pipes, shower heads and toilets can waste an astonishing amount of water.

5. Use water fixtures and fittings

Although there’s a necessary upfront investment, it may be cost efficient in the long term, and the environmental benefit starts immediately. Choosing a low flow shower head, for example, can reduce shower water consumption by as much as 50%.

Regardless of your starting point, everyone can take a small step forward towards saving water, and it’s more important now than ever before.

SMALL STEP

Start with little changes that don’t require any monetary outlay, and take very little effort. These small steps include: turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, limiting showers to 4 minutes, using the half-flush where possible and putting the plug in the sink when washing hands or face. These simple changes can save a huge amount of water when they add up over time. To help your family remember, you could make a simple picture poster and put one in every bathroom.

MEDIUM STEP

If you’re already following the steps above, you could save even more water with a little extra effort. Use a bucket to catch excess water while adjusting the shower temperature. Putting a full water bottle in the toilet cistern to reduce the water used in each flush (see link below).  Fixing any dripping taps and check for toilet leaks may also be achievable without a professional plumber.

BIG STEP

If you’ve gone as far as you can to save water in the above ways, consider investing some money in water saving technology for your bathroom. Look for low-flow shower heads if you don’t already have them installed. Consider getting a rainwater tank that connects to the toilet or washing machine. You might choose to start with a Waterfix residential assessment, which allows you to have your home assessed for water saving potential. You may be able to have the cost of any improvements split over your upcoming water bills, rather than paying the full cost upfront. And since the improved efficiency will save money on water use, this may further offset some of those costs.

Resources to get you started:

• Sydney Waterfix Service – A scheme is aimed at providing homeowners with an assessment of their home, to identify the potential for saving water
• Sydney Water Leak Finding Service
• Compare your home water efficiency usage on Sydney Water’s website
• Love Water Quiz – A child friendly quiz on water efficiency
• Bunnings website – Water saving fixtures and devices for your home

Previous challenges:

• Week 6: Eat more plant-based
• Week 5: Switch to eco-friendly sanitary products
• Week 4: Dispose of food waste in a more sustainable way
• Week 3: Reducing food waste
• Week 2: Repair something that you were going to replace
• Week 1: Re-home something, to decrease its ‘resources per use’ cost

Guest author: Cheryl Edwards

This article is designed to give an overview of different resources available to help you with the Every Little Step Climate Initiative. Neither Inner West Mums or the author can personally endorse the products and services mentioned, and we always encourage you to do your own research before deciding if a product or service is right for you.

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Related posts:

Every Little Step Challenge – Week 9: Making the switch to greener energy Every Little Step Challenge – Week 3: Reducing food waste Every Little Step Challenge – Week 4: Dispose of food waste in a more sustainable way Every Little Step Challenge – Week 2: Repair something that you were going to replace Every Little Step Challenge  – Week 6: Eat more plant-based Every Little Step Challenge – Week 8: Dress more consciously