Becoming Waterwise

Water is essential for all life and is the most abundant substance on Earth, yet water scarcity is one of the biggest issues facing us today. Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent and 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record. Climate change is impacting the Australian landscape and the affects are already being felt with widespread droughts and the intense and early start to the fire seasons.

See how Climate Change will affect you.

You can be part of the solution by looking at your water usage and exploring ways that you can be more Waterwise and live more Sustainably.

There are many ways to be waterwise.

In the home

  • Take shorter showers.
  • Use the half flush button on your toilet instead of the full flush button.
  • Turn taps off when brushing teeth
  • Check for dripping taps
  • Only run the dishwasher or washing machine went it is full
  • Don’t put rubbish or chemicals down the drain.
  • Don’t turn the tap on too hard while washing your hands and turn off it properly.
  • Use a broom instead of a hose to clean paths and driveways.
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In the garden

  • Water the garden early in the morning or in the evening because less water evaporates when it is cooler.
  • Plant Australian plants that are native to your area and mulch your garden.
  • Find alternatives to fertilisers and pesticides that may contain harmful chemicals.
  • Wash the car on the lawn.
  • Reuse your bath water for plants
  • Check for dripping taps
  • Collect rain water to use in the garden

Water Usage Calculator

Try out the Hunter Water: Water Usage Calculator to calculate how much water you use each year. The Water Use table lists how many litres of water are used for common household activities each day. You can also use this to calculate how much water you use each day and help you find areas to reduce consumption and become Waterwise.

WATER USELITRES
Toilet (Single flush cistern) 
Toilet (Duel Flush)  
11 litres
3 litres for a half flush
6 litres for a full flush
Bath 100 litres
Shower (standard shower head)
Shower (low flow shower head)
20 litres/minute
10 litres/minute
Dishwasher load 12 litres
Washing machine load 90 litres
Brushing teeth with tap running 5 litres/minute
Drinking, cooking, cleaning10 litres person/day
Hand basin per use 5 litres
Garden sprinkler  15 litres/minute
Garden dripper per hour 15 litres/minute
Car Washing with hose 15 litres/minute
Hosing driveway 15 litres/minute
A dripping tap can waste up to200 litres of water/day
Leaking or running toilet    500 litres of water/day

Remember to check on your local water restrictions

Find out more about Water Scarcity and the impacts of Climate Change on Droughts with the following links:

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