Reduce water use in kitchens and bathrooms

Reduce your water use to reduce your operating expenses

For people living on the world’s driest inhabited continent, Australians can be downright blasé about water use. We are the greatest per capita water consumers in the world, using an average of 100,000L of freshwater per person each year. If you include the water footprint of our food and other consumables, the figure increases tenfold. Compounding the problem of our heavy-handed water use: scientists are predicting an even drier future. Here’s how to start saving water and money in your business.

Quick wins

Here are some low and no cost ways to use less water in your business, that can also save you money.

Change your habits

Changing habits is a quick, free way of saving water and dollars.

Could you implement the following small changes to the way you work, to save on water costs?

• Thaw frozen ingredients in the fridge, instead of under running water
• Rise fruit and vegetables in a plugged sink, not under running water
• Run dishwashers and glasswashers only when fully loaded
• Scrape food scraps from cutlery and crockery before washing
• Use dry cleaning practices such as brooms, mops and squeegees instead of hosing.

Check for leaks

Toilets use significant amounts of water, and leaking toilets can waste between 4,000L to 96,000L of water per year, depending on severity. According to Urban Utilities, there is a simple, low-cost way to check for leaks with food colouring. Their advice is to check for leaks by “placing a couple of drops of food colouring or dye into the cistern. If colour appears in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, then a leak exists, and the system should be repaired.” You can find more tips on increasing the efficiency of your toilets here.

Smart investments

Install a good nozzle

Your water usage can be reduced significantly with the right type of nozzle. Nozzles don’t just reduce the amount of water that flow through your tap, they can also distribute the water wider or increase the pressure. For kitchens, chisel spray water saving nozzles are available for around $300. They have a strong spray designed to remove stains and food scraps so that the tap is needed for less time. Whereas some nozzles may have a 10 litre per minute flow rate, water saving nozzles can do the job with 3 to 6 litres per minute.

Upgrade to water efficient appliances

On average, a front loader washing machine can use 50% less water than a traditional top loader. They also use less detergent and energy which will also save you money. This is just one simple example; imagine the savings available on a larger scale! Look for appliances with 4 stars or more on the water star rating for best savings.