Reducing Water Consumption
Episode: SA Waterwise Special – Our Changing Climate
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Reducing water consumption is becoming more and more an important way of life and we can all play a part in reducing the amount of water we use at home. It doesn’t matter is you live in a new housing development or an older suburb there are things you can do to reduce the amount of water you use.
An innovation in the way grey water is captured and used has turned Mawson Lakes into a green oasis. Every kitchen, laundry and shower through this development collects water and pipes it to a catchment. The catchment then supplies each resident in a very special way, each house has two water metres, one for normal drinking water and the other has lilac fittings for recycled water. This is used in the garden and the toilet.
As for established homes there are plenty of ways to make great water savings. The shower is one of the best places to decrease your water use. A standard showerhead can use 15 to 20 litres of water per minute. Changing the it over to a new low flow one will give a high quality shower only using 9 litres of water per minute. Not only are you using less water but you can also save on CO2 emissions from reduced hot water use.
The flushing toilet is a major user of household water, using a total of 78 thousand mega-litres. That is being flushed away every year. Replacing a traditional single flush unit with a water efficient dual flush can save about 50 litres per person per day.
One of the most common water saving devices is a rainwater tank and everyone should consider using one no matter how big your yard it. They can be used for watering your garden by drip irrigation systems or they can pretty much supply all your household water needs.
A tank fitted with a pressure pump filtration system and new piping. When it is filled with water turning a valve will switch off the water from the mains and directs water from the tank through filters and into the toilet and laundry, saving thousand and thousands of litres a year. Getting this type of system fitted is a specialist job so contact the plumbing association for more information and ask them about their eco-smart plumber initiatives including information on rebates you can receive for installing these water saving devices. (www.eco-smartplumber.com.au)
Whether it is something as simple as introducing lower water showerheads or as complicated as an integrated system we should all be considering ways we can reduce water. Conducting an audit of you water usage and introducing ways to save water will be great for our future.
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Reducing water consumption is becoming more and more an important way of life and we can all play a part in reducing the amount of water we use at home. It doesn’t matter is you live in a new housing development or an older suburb there are things you can do to reduce the amount of water you use.
An innovation in the way grey water is captured and used has turned Mawson Lakes into a green oasis. Every kitchen, laundry and shower through this development collects water and pipes it to a catchment. The catchment then supplies each resident in a very special way, each house has two water metres, one for normal drinking water and the other has lilac fittings for recycled water. This is used in the garden and the toilet.
As for established homes there are plenty of ways to make great water savings. The shower is one of the best places to decrease your water use. A standard showerhead can use 15 to 20 litres of water per minute. Changing the it over to a new low flow one will give a high quality shower only using 9 litres of water per minute. Not only are you using less water but you can also save on CO2 emissions from reduced hot water use.
The flushing toilet is a major user of household water, using a total of 78 thousand mega-litres. That is being flushed away every year. Replacing a traditional single flush unit with a water efficient dual flush can save about 50 litres per person per day.
One of the most common water saving devices is a rainwater tank and everyone should consider using one no matter how big your yard it. They can be used for watering your garden by drip irrigation systems or they can pretty much supply all your household water needs.
A tank fitted with a pressure pump filtration system and new piping. When it is filled with water turning a valve will switch off the water from the mains and directs water from the tank through filters and into the toilet and laundry, saving thousand and thousands of litres a year. Getting this type of system fitted is a specialist job so contact the plumbing association for more information and ask them about their eco-smart plumber initiatives including information on rebates you can receive for installing these water saving devices. (www.eco-smartplumber.com.au)
Whether it is something as simple as introducing lower water showerheads or as complicated as an integrated system we should all be considering ways we can reduce water. Conducting an audit of you water usage and introducing ways to save water will be great for our future.
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