Water-Wise Tips

Water Wise Tips for your home & garden

Water lawns only when they start to appear slightly wilted, then apply one inch of water. Over-watering weakens the plant's root system, making the lawn vulnerable to disease and pests
Set your sprinkler to avoid watering patios, driveways and walks. Use timers on sprinklers
Do not cut your grass too short. Longer grass retains more moisture near the roots
Mulch around your plants to prevent excess evaporation
Sweep your driveway and walkway instead of washing with a hose
Landscape with plants native to this region and/or practice xeriscaping (gardening with plants that require less water)
Catch and store water from your downspouts in a rain barrel and use this water on your plants

Wash only full loads of laundry, but avoid overloading the machine
If your machine has a `suds-saver' feature, be sure to use it (this feature reuses the clean rinse water for washing the next load)
Set the water-level indicator dial to use only as much water as is really necessary

Fully load your dishwasher. If you wash dishes by hand, partially fill one sink for washing and the other for rinsing
Wash fruit and vegetables in a partially filled sink or in a container of water, instead of allowing the water to run constantly. A quick final rinse should be all that is necessary. Use rinse water to water plants
Capture excess water in a container if running the tap is necessary. This can provide an ample supply of water for indoor and outdoor plant watering
Keep drinking water in the refrigerator in a covered container, instead of running the tap while waiting for the water to get cold. Every few days, be sure to wash the container and change the water. Use leftover drinking water on plants or for cleaning

Install low flow faucet heads and water-wise fixtures and appliances in your home
Replace your old 13 litre or more toilet with a high efficiency 4.8 litre per flush or dual flush toilet
Place a plastic container (filled with water) in your toilet tank and displace the excess water to fill the tank and reduce the amount of water needed to flush. Make sure that you don't displace so much that you have trouble flushing. Low flow toilets are already designed to do this
Never use the toilet as a garbage can
Turn off your tap when brushing your teeth or when shaving
Turn off the water when lathering up in the shower

Hidden leaks can be difficult to find. Watch the meter when you have no water on to see if it is moving. If the meter indicates water use during this time, track down the source and have it repaired
Check to see if your toilet is leaking by placing some food colouring in your tank and, if after 15-20 minutes, it appears in your toilet bowl, there is a leak that should be fixed
Fix water leaks and dripping taps. One dripping tap can waste up to 14 gallons daily