Water supplies across Australia are in dire states as the drought continues to bite. This week, stage one water restrictions were announced in Sydney, to take effect from 1 June, as well as tough new fines for those who flout them.
New South Wales has been in drought since mid 2017, affecting 98% of the state, but drought has affected the whole country. Queensland, parts of South Australia, Northern Territory and northern Western Australia are all in drought, while water storage is down in all states.
Yet many Australians don’t realise that the extent of the drought. In April, a Sydney Water survey found that more than 60% of Sydney residents were unaware of the current drought.
So it’s time to get creative with how we save water.
The usual fixes apply:
fix leaking taps
turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
only use the dishwasher and washing machine if you have a full load
get a water-efficient shower head
reduce shower times to four minutes
share shower time with your nearest and dearest
if you have an older toilet without a dual flush, put a brick or pebbles into the cistern to take up some space.
Those with gardens can:
install a rainwater tank to collect rainwater or collect grey water in the house to use in the garden
replace non-indigenous plants with natives and other plants with low water requirements
make sure they don’t over-water the lawn and use mulch and compost in the garden to increase water absorptions.
But there has to be more we can do. Share your water-saving tips and tricks in the comments below and we’ll republish a selection at a later date.
