Water efficiency tips

Maintaining the garden

• Choose drought-tolerant plant and lawn species.
• Use good-quality soil with plenty of organic matter.

• Mulch and compost your garden regularly. Good mulches, including sugar cane, wood chips, gravel and stone, increase water absorption and the moisture content of soil.

• Pull out weeds, as they compete with your garden plants for moisture and nutrients.

• Leave your lawn long (2.5cm). This will help retain moisture in the soil and encourage deeper root growth.

Watering

• Water gardens and lawns in the morning and evening when it is cooler.

• Only water when you really need to. If rain is forecast, let Mother Nature attend to it for you.

• Water deeply and less frequently to encourage plants and lawn to grow deeper roots and be more resilient to dry times. Twice a week should be sufficient if you have a well-mulched garden, suitable soil and established plants.

• Consider other sources of water such as a rainwater tank or your laundry greywater.

Tips for your pool

• Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation
• Install a shade cloth over the pool to help reduce evaporation
• Install a rainwater tank or downpipe diverter to top-up your pool instead of using town water
• Check for leaks around the pool (see below for instructions on how to check your pool for leaks)
• Plant some bushes around the pool to protect it from wind, which causes evaporation
• Use our handy pool and spa fill guide to estimate how much it will cost to fill or top up your pool or spa.

Checking your swimming pool for leaks

Unfortunately, lots of people get caught out with increased water bills because of pool leaks. Swimming pool leaks are your responsibility. Here are a few tips to help you check your pool for leaks:

• Check for bubbles in the return lines when the pool pump is running. If there are bubbles, there may be a leak in the suction side of the filtration system. Check to ensure the pump basket lid is on tight and the lid O-ring is lubricated and in good condition.

• If your pool is losing water while the pump is running, check the waste or backwash line for running water. The leak may be on the return-line side of the system.

• Skimmer leaks are the most common leak in the pool and are caused by a separation between the plastic skimmer and the concrete pool. This leak looks like a crack, gap or tear and is easily repaired by pool putty.

Check for leaks on the shell of the pool, inserts into the pool walls (e.g. lights), wall interfaces (e.g. tile line) and in the pump and filter equipment.

In the bathrooms

• Check for water leaks in fittings and also use a water meter where possible.
• Fix leaking taps, toilets and showers immediately.
• Install water-efficient devices where possible. 

In the kitchen

• Scrape plates clean instead of rinsing.
• Make sure the dishwasher is full each time.
• Check for water leaks in fittings, but also use the water meter where possible.
• Fix leaking taps.
• Install water-efficient devices where possible. 

Outside

• Check any irrigation equipment regularly for leaks.
• Ensure garden watering occurs only as necessary and gardens are suitably mulched to reduce water loss to evaporation.
• Ensure water is used to wash down outdoor areas only where absolutely necessary. Sweeping or leaf blowing may be sufficient.
• Ensure that the fire-hose reel is used only for fire-fighting and related fire-fighting training and testing of equipment. Penalties apply for inappropriate use.