Water

Water is our most precious resource and high quality water sources are becoming more scarce.

Did you know?

An average household of two to three people uses about 225 cubic metres of water a year, or 616 litres a day. A typical dishwater uses 125 litres of water a load. More than 70 percent of indoor water use occurs in the bathroom.

Let's work together and stop taking water for granted!

We now need to take action and reduce the amount of water we use.

Let's get Water Smart!

Indoor Water Smart Tips:

 Ø In the kitchen

  • Make sure your dishwasher is full before turning it on;
  • Fix leaking taps;
  • Put plug in sink when running water to wash fruits and veggies or for rinsing dishes;
  • Avoid using running water to defrost frozen food;
  • Make sure you use lids on pots when cooking to prevent water evaporation.

 Ø In the bathroom

  • Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth or shaving;
  • Install a low-flow showerhead, this can save the average household 1,000 litres of water per week;
  • Use dual-flush on the toilet or simply place a filled water bottle in the toilet cistern;
  • Have showers instead of baths and keep your shower short, even turn shower off while shampooing etc.

 Ø In the laundry

  • Make sure you do a full load or use the water filling guide depending on the amount of washing;
  • Front-load washing machines use 50% less water than top loaders.

Outdoor Water Smart Tips:

Ø In the Garden

  • Collect water in drums or tanks from roof run off;
  • Minimise evaporation by watering during the early morning or after dusk;
  • Check the forecast. If there's rain ahead, let it do the watering for you;
  • Check your garden hose and taps regularly for leaks and use a trigger nozzle on the hose to reduce water loss;
  • If you must wash your car, do it on the lawn and that way your lawn gets watered and use a bucket, not a hose.

 Ø The lawns

  • Do not worry about the lawn drying out over the summer. Grass goes dormant during the periods of drought but rejuvenates naturally with cooler and wetter weather;
  • Do not water your lawn on windy days;

 Ø The outdoors

  • Don't hose the dirt off your driveway, use a broom;
  • Use a bucket to wash the house or windows;
  • Make sure you check for leaks consistently and repair if necessary.

 

About this page

First added: 19 February 2009
Last updated: 11 January 2012

Who to contact

Click here for Requests for Service.

Or, If you would like to discuss a matter on this page, feel free to contact us:

Southland District Council
P.O. Box 903
Invercargill 9840
Phone: 0800 732 732
Fax: 0800 732 329
emailsdc@southlanddc.govt.nz