Water Saving Guide for Australian Homes: Practical Tips to Cut Your Bill

Where Water is Used

• 1 Toilet flushing: ~26% of household water (huge potential for reduction)
• 2 Shower and bath: ~22%
• 3 Laundry: ~16%
• 4 Irrigation: ~18% (much more in dry summers)
• 5 Kitchen: ~12%
• 6 Other (leaks, taps running): ~6%

Low-Flow Fixtures — High Impact, Low Cost

• 1 Low-flow showerhead: replaces 18-20L/min with 7-9L/min — saves a family $200-400/year on water and energy. Cost: $20-80.
• 2 Dual-flush toilet: 3/4.5L flush vs 9L — saves up to 35,000L per year per toilet. Cost of retrofit cistern button: $50-200.
• 3 Flow-restricting aerators on taps: reduce flow from 8-12L/min to 4-6L/min. Cost: $5-15 per tap.
• 4 Water-efficient dishwasher: modern 3.5-star dishwasher uses less water than hand-washing 8+ place settings

Rainwater Tanks

A 5,000L rainwater tank connected to downpipes can supply: toilet flushing (saves 35-50L/person/day), laundry cold water (saves 20-30L/load), and garden irrigation. In a typical Australian city, a well-placed tank captures 15,000–30,000L per year. Most states offer rebates ($500–$2,000) on rainwater tank installation.

Garden Water Efficiency

Garden irrigation accounts for 18-40% of household water, depending on climate. The most effective water-saving strategies: convert to drip irrigation (uses 30-50% less water than sprinklers), water before 10am to reduce evaporation, install a weather-based irrigation controller (automatically adjusts for rain), and mulch garden beds to retain moisture.

Greywater Reuse

Greywater (water from showers, baths, and laundry) can legally be reused for garden irrigation in most Australian states under specific conditions (not on vegetables, not stored, applied below-ground where possible). A basic greywater diverter (from laundry to garden) costs $200–$500 installed. More sophisticated treatment systems cost $3,000–$8,000 but allow use on a wider range of applications.