Water - Water Conservation in the Home

Sinks, Kettles, Cooking, Washing

Below are some tips to help conserve water in the kitchen:

• For a cold drink, instead of running the tap until the temperature is just right, fill a covered jug and put it in the fridge. The water will be cooler too.
• Never wash dishes or vegetables under a running tap. Use a bowl instead – you will use less water than filling the sink or washing them under a running tap.
• Try to use your appliances only when you have a full load. You will save money, detergent as well as water.
• A typical washing machine on full cycle can use up to 65 litres of water.
• A dishwasher uses 20 litres.
• Use water-efficient appliances. When purchasing a new water-using appliance (like a washing machine or dishwasher), check to see if it uses water efficiently. This will be listed on its energy label.
• Wash small loads of dishes by hand and not in the dishwasher or wait until you have a full load before setting the dishwasher off.
• Use the economy cycle on your dishwasher and your washing machine.
• When making hot drinks, fill the kettle with enough for your needs, not to the brim. It saves energy too!
• Reuse cold household water e.g. don’t pour an unfinished glass of water down the sink, pour it on your houseplants or onto the garden.
• Steaming vegetables rather than boiling them can save water, and also ensures that none of the vitamins and minerals are lost in the process of cooking.
• If you do boil vegetables remember that the water used to boil them can be used as a vegetable stock. It contains vitamins and minerals and can add flavours to other dishes.
• Be Virtual Water Savvy - All of the food that we buy consumes a considerable amount of fresh water while it is being made. For example, it takes around 1,000kg of water to produce 1kg of wheat while it takes 4,500 litres of water to produce 1 beef steak!! Think of all the water it takes to get the steak from field to fork!
• Each day designate one glass for your drinking water. This will help reduce the amount of washing up you need to do.