New Zealand is home to some of the worst offenders of water wastage in the entire world. Old plumbing systems, some as old as 150 years, cause up to 18% of the country’s water supply to go to waste.
While the use of a piston-type water pump ensures that most Kiwis have water in their homes, some systems cost the country over 100 billion litres of water every year. With a little effort, you can help prevent this loss of water.
Fix your plumbing system
It’s easy to ignore a dripping tap until you realise that it wastes up to 90 litres of water each month. That works to about 347 gallons a year lost if you don’t make an effort to fix the faucet. Of course, the loss can be more if you have several leaky faucets in the home.
On the other hand, if you have a leaking pipe in the home, you’re likely to lose up to 970 gallons of water in 24 hours at a low water pressure of about 40 psi. If you don’t wise up to the leak quickly, you will have other problems to contend with sooner or later.
Leaking water gets into the drywall and beneath, causing a considerable amount of water damage while promoting the growth of mould and mildew. Correcting these problems is likely to cost you a small fortune. Hiring a plumber to fix such leaks as soon as they appear saves you a considerable amount of money and headaches.
Install a water-efficient plumbing system
On average, a New Zealander is likely to use more than 200 litres of water each day. At 70%, bathroom use accounts for a huge share of water use at home. About 20% of the water is used in the kitchen and doing the laundry.
Switching to water-efficient plumbing systems can help lower the amount of water used at home without reducing the quality of life. Best of all, making the switch doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. You can start by replacing your oldest water fixtures first.
Low flow showerheads use up to 50% less water without ruining the shower experience. These showerheads restrict the flow of water by forcing it through small apertures. That aerates the water while increasing the pressure at which it flows to give you a great shower experience.
Create a garden
Establishing a garden lets you harvest most of the grey water in the house and use it for a better cause. You can use the water from the shower, laundry, and kitchen for just about any outdoor use. That lets you create a blooming garden without taxing your water supply.
Alternatively, you can choose to harvest rainwater for your outdoor use if you’re reluctant to use grey water. That would entail installing gutters and other water collection devices and a storage tank to hold the water. With sufficient storage, you can lower your dependency on water supplied by the city.
Water remains one of the most precious commodities in the in New Zealand. The country is currently grappling with widespread water wastage. Instead of furthering this problem you can take proactive measure and reduce this wastage.
