A running tap can waste up to 12 litres per minute. To avoid wasting drinking water from a running tap, collect it in a bottle or jug and store it in the fridge until it is cool enough to drink.
Ways to save water in the kitchen
Whether you’re cooking, cleaning, washing or drinking, we’ve got some handy tips to help you love and conserve water in the kitchen.
Garbage-disposal units use about 6 litres of water per day. Put suitable food scraps into a composter or worm farm rather than down the kitchen sink.
A leaking tap can waste between 30-200 litres of water a day. Learn more about how to check for leaks and watch our savvy video.
The ‘old’ water from your fish tank is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Your plants will love these nutrients, so next time you’re cleaning out your fish tank, re-use this water in your garden.
Dishwashing
Dishwashers are the highest consumers of water in the kitchen. If you’re looking to purchase a new dishwasher, check the water efficiency beforehand or look out for the WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) label. A WELS dishwasher could save you half the amount of water compared to an average appliance.
If you’re looking for ideas to help reduce your existing dishwasher’s water consumption, here are our top 3 tips:
- Only use the dishwasher when it's full, and take care when stacking your items
- Use short wash cycles for everything but the dirtiest of dishes
- Use the air-dry setting or turn the dishwasher off after its final rinse and open the door.
Saving water in the laundry
Saving water in your laundry can be easy, check out our water-saving tips to turn your laundry into the most water-efficient room in your house.
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Water usage calculator
Our water usage calculator estimates your annual water consumption based on your answers to questions regarding water use in and around the home.
Little habits make big changes
If you're thoughtful you can really make things go a long way, especially water.