REDUCE WATER USE IN TAPS

There are a number of things you can do to ensure that your taps are not using more water than necessary.

• Fix leaks immediately. A tap leaking at the rate of one drip per second will waste more than 12,000 litres of water a year.
• Don't over tighten taps. This can wear the washer and cause leaks.
• Install a flow regulator on kitchen and bathroom sink taps.
• Ensure that all new taps are water efficient. Look for the AAA rating.
• Install mixer taps in showers. They can reduce the potential for scalding and save large quantities of water wasted through running the shower while trying to get a comfortable water temperature.
• Install separate hot and cold taps or mixer taps that provide cold water only in the middle position over basins and sinks. Mixer type taps are usually left in the middle position. This means that each time the tap is run for a glass of water or to rinse a toothbrush, hot water is drawn off just to cool in the pipe without ever being used.