In light of this, the Ekurhuleni Metro brings you the following water wise tips:
Taps
*When brushing your teeth remember to turn off the tap. A running tap wastes litres of water per minute.
*To detect a slow leak add a few drops of food colouring to your toilet cistern. Don’t flush it for about an hour. If the food colouring is not present after an hour, you have a leak.
*Call a recommended plumber or, if you fancy a bit of DIY, take the parts to the hardware store and ask the staff to help with replacement parts.
Toilets
*Installing a cistern displacement device can achieve savings of thousands of litres per year.
*Avoid flushing away cotton ball or make-up tissues. Simply throwing them in the bin will cut down on the amount of water wasted with every flush.
*Promptly repair cistern leaks and any form of leaks.
Showers
*Showering uses less water than bathing. It also saves you money on your electrical account.
*Use a low-flow shower head
*Take shorter showers of five minutes or less.
*Put a bucket in the shower to catch cold water while you wait for it to get hot. You can use this water to water your garden.
*When you shower , wet your body, turn the water off, apply soap, wash and then rise off with water.
Baths
*A bath typically uses around 80 litres, while a shorter shower can use as little as a third of that amount.
*Plug the basin when shaving rather than rinsing your blade under running water. This can save up to 45 litres per month.
*You can minimise your water use by reusing your bathwater to water your houseplants, garden or flush your toilet.
Kitchen
*Try and use a full load every time. This can be helped by ensuring you buy a dishwasher with a capacity suitable for your household size.
*Avoid pre-rinsing dishes. Detergents are highly effective, so all you need to do is simply scrape and place.
*If you are washing in the sink, try adding a washing-up bowl or plug into your sink to catch excess water. This can reduce water wastage by 50 per cent and be used to wash your vegetables before cooking.
*Don’t hand rinse or wash dishes – pour water in the sink and then do all the dishes.
Laundry
*Clothes washing can account for 15 per cent of water used in homes.
*When buying a washing machine, have a look at the water-wise ranking.
*Remember to read the manual to find out which cycles are the most water efficient.
Drinking
*Waiting for the tap to run cold, or warm, can waste a lot of water. Save this water for drinking or cleaning vegetables.
*Try to fill the kettle with only what is needed, this will save water and energy.
*Using the lid on saucepans reduces the amount of water lost, so you don’t have to put as much in.
Outside
*Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and walkways.
*Plant plants that require less water.
*Water plants early or late in the day to reduce evaporation.
*Wash your car using a bucket of water and not the hosepipe.
*Close all taps and check whether the water meter is running. If so, there are leaks that need to be identified and repaired.
*Stop refilling pools or cover pool with an impermeable material to reduce evaporation.
Report any water pipe burst or leaks immediately to 0860 543 000.
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