Water Audit

With South Australia’s new water restrictions in place I am finding that I have to re-educate my children with what they can and can not do. Something I have been trying to do for years now. I have laid down the law now and said that if I catch another 40 minute shower its going to be a costly one. I also decided to have a look at a few ways to conserve and save water. I know that I don’t have any desire to be flagged by the ‘water police’ and fined for either ignorance or stupidity….

SA Water provides a ‘Water Audit’ pamphlet in PDF format which anyone can download and make use of. It will take you through your home step by step and help you conduct a water audit on your home or even business. This is something that may be a great idea involve the kids in. Get them into being ‘water smart’ now so that as they get older, they will respect what so many haven’t in the past, our water and water usage. Get them to help you tick the boxes or walk with you through the garden and home. They may point out where you use excess water that you haven’t noticed yourself.

How the audit works

1. The audit is said to take approximately one hour to complete
2. You work your way through each of the tables on the pamphlet from A – G
3. In each area ask the question ‘How do I use water’ while ticking the response which matches how you use water
4. ‘Frog’ ratings are used to conduct this audit, making it a little more fun for the kids.
5. Each answer will be tallied by the total of frogs you receive.
6. Once you tally you results for each table compare with the information on the pamphlet.
7. If you score less than the maximum number of frogs, ‘Water Smart Actions’ are provided so that you can identify the steps needed to reduce your water usage.
8. After you have completed all tables use the ‘Water Audit Summary’ which is located on the last page and list your scores and future ‘smart action plans’ that you can introduce in and around the home.
9. Decide on a date that you will implement this and try and stick to the date.

 There are many ways to save water around the home and SA Water includes these tips on their website . Such as:

• Installing aerators on taps to reduce the water flow and prevent you from using as much.
• Looking out for water efficient appliances
• Use the dishwasher only when it is full
• Fix all leaking taps
• Don’t turn on the washing machine until you have a full load or make sure you adjust the setting to suit the load
• Use suds-save on your washing machine.
• Grey water from the laundry can be used on the garden
• Front loaders can be more efficient than a top loader although they are more expensive.
• Take shorter showers....10 to 20 liters or water is used in every minute of the shower running. 
  
• Install water efficient shower heads
• Check for leaking toilet cisterns
• Adding food colouring in the  toilet cistern will show any leaks.
• Don’t leave taps running when brushing your teeth.

Chart your water use

Keep a track of the water you are using around the home and garden by reading your water meter. If you are unsure how to read your meter, a pamphlet available in PDF format is also available to download from the SA Water website explaining how to.  This way you will be able to take note with what your water consumption is and keep a check if it has increased or decreased.

There are a number of ‘Fact Sheets’ available from the SA Water website all providing great tips for saving water around the home and business. Another great source for information is the Water Wise in the Household pamphlet, which again is in PDF   format. Even if you don’t live in South Australia this information may still benefit you.

It is worth having a look. It couldn’t hurt and it may just help save some money and more importantly water…