How should we be using our water?
We need to become smart water users at home by conserving water and using it efficiently; conservation and efficiency measures alone can reduce water use at home by half and your total water footprint by 5%.
We also need to make more considered choices about the food we buy and eat, and the goods and services we consume that use a lot of water. Choosing to grow some of your own produce, buying locally-grown and in-season produce, eating less meat and minimising food waste can reduce your total water footprint by 25-30%!
Have a look at how Water-Wise Wendy did it. Check out Wendy's attempts to reduce her total water footprint by half and her home's water use by between 80 and 100%.
Top water-use actions for a secure water future
It's really quite easy to reduce almost immediately your water footprint inside and outside the home by between 30 and 50%!
Here's a quick guide to what we need to do to become more water-smart. With each action is a summary of the cost savings and virtual water use (i.e. total water used to make the food, goods and services we use) reduced with each action.
Water-use actions | Overall benefit (total % virtual water saved, and cost savings) |
Conserve at home: Take shorter showers, turn-off the tap, fix leaks, wash full loads and convert lawns to drought-resistant groundcovers. | 2-3% Saves 30% on home water use costs. |
Become water efficient: Install a triple-A rated showerhead, dual-flush cistern, 4- to 6-star water-rated appliances, efficient irrigation systems and a trigger nozzle on your hose. | 3-4% Saves 30-40% on home water use costs and 10-25% on hot water costs. |
Use electricity smartly: Conserve, become efficient and use renewable energy. | 3-5% Saves 20-70% on home electricity costs. |
Re-use greywater and harvest rainwater: (Rebate available.) | 5-6% Saves 50-70% on home water-use costs. Installation and payback costs dependent on system; 3-7 years average with rebate. |
Prevent waste of consumable items: Only buy what you will consume, do not impulse-buy and do not let food and cosmetics spoil. Buy quality and durable items, repair and maintain them. | 4-8% Saves about 15% on food costs, possibly 10% on personal care costs. |
Eat smart: Reduce meat intake by 50% or more and diary intake by 30%. | 6-10% Cost-neutral against food alternatives or slight saving. |
Buy second-hand books, clothes, furniture and glassware. Refuse packaging, carry a shopping bag and go electronic for all your information. | 6-12%
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Grow your own: Grow in-season fresh produce and water with your own greywater or rainwater; make some of your own wine or beer. | 25-40% Saves 35-65% on fresh food costs after cost of growing from seed and maintenance. |
Why not take action now?
To calculate your direct water use, find solutions, top tips and how-to information, have a look at the Water-Wise Action Plan.
To reduce your total water footprint, use the solutions and tips in the following sections: