Did you know that showers make up almost 22% of the average household water use? This makes it one of the best places in your home to reduce water use, whilst also saving you money. It is commonly perceived that baths waste a significant amount of water. However, if done wisely, having a bath can actually use even less water than taking a shower.

Below are some tips to reduce your water usage in the bathroom:


Bathing
  1. Don’t overfill the tub – bathing can be done without wasting water when only water that is actually needed is used.
  2. Keep an eye on the water temperature while you are filling the bath, rather than adding more water to obtain the optimal temperature.
  3. Reuse your water – leftover water (if used with environmentally friendly soaps), can be used in other places around the house such as your garden or even for washing your car.


    Saving Water in the Shower

    1. Reduce your shower time to four minutes or less – use a shower timer or simply your phone to play your favourite four-minute song.
    2. Momentarily switch off the running water when you are soaping up, shampooing or shaving, to reduce unnecessary water use.
    3. Brushing your teeth in the shower can use more than 9L of water in one minute! Whilst it may seem like a good idea to reduce water use, it is actually more efficient to brush your teeth in the bathroom sink.
    4. The type of showerhead you use makes a huge difference when it comes to saving water.  Install a water efficient showerhead to save your household up to 20,000L of water per year
5. Check out the Water Corporations waterwise offers, providing eligible towns across WA with water efficient showerheads, free plumbing services, and more.

6. Don’t just let the water go down the drain while you wait for it to heat up – collect it in the shower with a bucket to use on your garden or for cleaning.

References:
Water Corporation 2021, ‘Saving water during shower time’ Available at: https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Help-and-advice/Waterwise/Bathroom/Saving-water-during-shower-time (Accessed 23 July 2021).
Image source:
Header: Homes To Love 2020, ’24 of the best modern bathroom ideas that are perfect for any home’ Available at: https://www.homestolove.com.au/modern-bathroom-ideas-21119
Body: Hunter Water n.d., ‘Saving water the bathroom‘ Available at https://www.hunterwater.com.au/home-and-business/information-for-homes/how-to-love-water/in-the-home/bathroom