Sink
- When washing fruit and veggies, use a small bowl instead of a running tap. Then you can also reuse that water on your pot plants!
- Slow the flow! Consider installing aerators or flow restrictors on your sink taps - you'll save water without even noticing.
- Don't use running water to defrost food. For water efficiency and food safety, defrost food in the fridge.
Dishwasher
- Modern dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand. However, it’s important to fill your dishwasher completely before running it. Need reminding? Contact us and we will send you a magnet* to put on your machine.
- Read the manual to learn more about the different settings on your dishwasher, many modern machines offer an ‘Eco’ or ‘Economy’ setting which use less water and energy.
- When shopping for a new dishwasher, use the water efficiency labelling scheme (WELS) to help you choose. Always remember that the more stars on the WELS label, the more water efficient the dishwasher is.
*Available to Hamilton City, Waikato District and Waipā District residents only.
Waste disposal unit
- Waste disposal units use about 30 litres of water per day and send a lot of extra rubbish into water treatment plants. Try using a worm farm or compost instead.
Drinking water
- Don't cut back on the amount of water you drink. Instead, try putting a large bottle of tap water in the fridge rather than waiting for the tap to run cold each time.
- Don't tip any left-over water down the sink - give your pot plants a drink!
- Fill the kettle with only what you need - this saves water and electricity.
