Water saving devices for the bathroom

There's no doubt that Australians are heeding the water saving message. But, while most of us are au fait with the half flush, there are still one or two bad habits that can creep into our bathroom routines.

"The bathroom and toilet are water consumption hotspots," says Merryn Coutts from the savewater! Alliance, which works with businesses and governments to help spread the water conservation message. "In fact, of all water consumed in the home, about 40 per cent is used in the bathroom."

So before you grab the shampoo bottle and launch into that extended rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', consider the following:

A dripping tap or shower can lose over 2 litres of water per hour

That adds up to about 1600 litres a month, per tap, or almost 20,000 litres each year. Similarly, a leaking toilet can waste up to 16,000 litres of water per year.

"To check if your toilet is leaking, put a little food colouring in the cistern and wait for 15 minutes," says Merryn. "If the colour appears in the bowl, the cistern needs immediate repair."

Be flush-efficient with toilets

The most efficient AAAA, or four-star, toilets use just 4.5 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush.  By installing one of these, a family of four can save over 35,000 litres each year.

If a new toilet is out of the question, you can purchase small gadgets to reduce the volume used for each flush. They work by allowing the toilet to flush only for the duration that you hold down the button.

Go with the regulated flow

Flow regulators are an inexpensive and easy way to cut your water use around the house. There are flow regulators for just about every plumbing fitting, ranging from 2 to 15 litres per minute. You only need a 2-4 litre per minute regulator for the bathroom basin, but you might want a 9 litre per minute regulator for the shower.

Shape up in the bathroom shower

AAA, or three-star, showerheads use no more than 9 litres of water per minute, while older models can use up to 20 litres. So depending on your showerhead, each minute less you spend sudsing-up can save 9-20 litres of water.

"When washing your hair, turn off the taps while you apply your shampoo, then turn them back on when you're ready to rinse," suggests Merryn. "Now that it's getting warmer it's not uncomfortable to have the water off for the intervening times."

Contact a bathroom specialist to find out more about water saving devices for the bathroom: