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Family halves their water bill by adopting these six hacks

In the spirit of National Water Week this week, one family has taken the leap to become the city’s most water-wise family to not only help reduce Sydney’s 1.5 billion litre water usage but also slash their own water bill in half.

The Charlesworth family has managed to save $280 this year after adopting simple water saving tricks for both inside and outside the home.

“We made some really simple changes in our lives to be more water-wise and it’s made a huge difference,” the family said.

“Not only are we saving water but we’re also saving on our water bills. It’s easy to forget how valuable water is because we can access it anytime, anywhere in Sydney.”

Meet the water saving Charlesworth family. Source: Supplied
Meet the water saving Charlesworth family. Source: Supplied

“It’s always been an important issue for me personally, but as my children started growing up and showing an interest in being involved in things, we encouraged them to take part in it too.”

As new homeowners, the family say that conservation is really important to them for the sake of the environment as well as reducing their spending.

Now the Charlesworths along with Sydney Water are hoping to inspire others by sharing their best hacks to slash your water bill:

1. Time your showers to a 4-minute song

Pick a song of your choice and challenge yourself to shower completely before it ends. Reducing your shower time by 1 minute can save around 9 litres of water every shower.

2. Fix leaking taps as soon as possible

It should be a no-brainer but not fixing leaking taps is a common mistake many households make and one that can waste up to 2,000 litres a month. Fixing a leaking tap is an easy way to use less water and it is something that most DIY people can do.

One of the easiest things you can do is to fix a leaky tap. Source: Getty
One of the easiest things you can do is to fix a leaky tap. Source: Getty
3. Wash your vegetables and rinse dishes in a plugged sink or basin

Fill up your kitchen sink with water and aim to reuse that water whenever possible rather than continually using a running tap.

4. Wait until your dishwasher or washing machine is fully loaded

Don’t waste water on a half-empty dishwasher or washing machine – wait until it is fully loaded before turning it on to maximise your savings.

To save water make sure your dishwasher is fully loaded before turning it on. Source: Getty
To save water make sure your dishwasher is fully loaded before turning it on. Source: Getty
5. Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth or shave

Again, reduce the amount of time you leave the tap running.

6. Make the most of running tap water

When waiting for the kitchen tap to warm up or cool down, run the water into the kettle, rather than letting it go down the sink.

The Charlesworths have halved their water bill with these savvy tips. Source: Supplied
The Charlesworths have halved their water bill with these savvy tips. Source: Supplied

However the Charlesworths haven’t just cut the costs by reducing water inside the home – they have also made an effort to limit water usage in the garden by adopting the following tips:

  • Water your garden before 10 am and after 4 pm to avoid the heat of the day and to minimise evaporation.

  • Use a broom or rake rather than a hose to clean your driveways and hard surfaces.

  • Raise the blades setting on your lawn mower. This will mean your grass is kept a little longer and will make it more resistant to the hot weather.

  • Apply 7 – 10 cm of mulch around your plants to help save water lost through evaporation.

  • Wash your car on the lawn – this will water your grass at the same time.

<span>Raise the blades setting on your lawn mower to keep grass longer and more resistant to hot weather. </span>Source: Getty
Raise the blades setting on your lawn mower to keep grass longer and more resistant to hot weather. Source: Getty

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