Indoor Water Use

Despite our rainy climate, the reservoir's capacity must last all year, especially during dry summers with little rain. By making waterwise choices, we can delay expensive infrastructure upgrades, ensure enough drinking water for a growing population, maintain a healthy ecosystem, and adapt to climate change.

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This pie chart shows where water is used inside the home. The toilet uses almost one quarter of all the water, with showering, faucets, clothes washer, and leaks coming close behind. Installing high-efficiency fixtures, embracing waterwise habits and checking for leaks are great ways to save water at home.

Interested in finding out how much water you use in a day? Click here to check out a free personal water use calculator to learn more.

High Efficiency Fixtures and Appliances

Choosing water-efficient appliances is important for water conservation because they use less water for everyday tasks like washing dishes and doing laundry. This helps reduce the overall demand on our water supply, lower water bills and reduce the energy needed to heat water. This means that they are an eco-friendly choice that benefits both the environment and your wallet.

Check out the different fixtures and appliances below to learn more.

19% of water used in the home is due to showering. All the extra lathering can really add up! Finding out how much water your showerhead uses during your shower can help you see how much water you use in your daily shower, and help you identify ways to conserve.

Here are the steps to measure your showerhead flow rate:

Contact us to receive a free shower bag that you can use for measuring your shower head flow rate.

1. To measure how many litres per minute your current showerhead is using place a shower bag under your showerhead.
2. Turn the shower faucet on full and run the water into the bag for 10 seconds.
3. After 10 seconds, measure the volume of water. Multiply your measurement by six to get the amount of water flow per minute. For example, if you ran your shower for 10 seconds and captured 1.9 L of water in your bag, your showerhead would have a flow rate of over 11 L/min.
4. If you have a flow rate of more than 7.6 L/min, consider replacing your showerhead with a high-efficiency model.

Once you have your flow rate, you can understand how much water your daily shower is using. For example, if your showerhead flow rate was 11L/min, and you showered for 10 minutes, that would mean that you used 110 litres of water in just 10 minutes. Shortening your shower is a great way to save water!

*Alternatively, you could use another container to measure the volume, just make sure it has volume measurements on it (like a large pitcher or measuring cup).

Waterwise Habits

• Strive for five-minute showers. Make a five-minute playlist to listen to while you are in the shower to help you keep track of time.
• Skip brushing teeth and shaving your face in the shower. Save these for when the water is not running.
• Avoid flushing unnecessarily - remember the old saying, "If its yellow, let it mellow!"
• Plug the sink or use a tub when hand washing dishes. Avoid washing or rinsing dishes with running water.
• Defrost food in the fridge overnight so that it doesn't need to be thawed under running water.
• Keep a bottle or jug of drinking water in the refrigerator rather than running the tap for cold water.
• Insulate your water pipes to reduce hot water delivery delay (and wasted water) experienced while waiting for water to run hot from the shower or faucets.
• Use the same glass or water bottle for the entire day instead of reaching for a new glass each time. You'll be surprised at how much less dinnerware you'll have to wash!
• Run full dishwasher loads rather than washing dishes by hand to maximize water savings.

Fixing a Leak

Household leaks account for 14% of all indoor water use. The most common issues are leaky toilets, faucets, irrigation systems, and showerheads. Simple and inexpensive repairs can prevent the wastage of drinking water. Regularly fix any leaking fixtures and check your toilet for hidden leaks at least once a year. An intermittent drip from your faucet or showerhead can waste more than 35,000 litres of water a year, costing you money. This wasted water could fill a bathtub over 100 times! If you have a dripping faucet, don't delay - fix it right away.

Learn more about fixing leaks in your home

Learn more about checking your leaks on your water bill

Understanding Your Water Use

To understand how to conserve water, it's helpful to understand how much water your household uses. Check out this helpful water calculator to better understand you water consumption.