Water Tank Woes? 2 Simple Ways To Reduce Water Wastage In Your Home

After a dry winter, your rain water tank may be looking a bit on the empty side. Waiting for a good downpour to refill it can be stressful, especially if you're not connected to a town water supply and will need to buy a truckload of water if your tank runs dry. Because tank water is a precious commodity, it makes sense to ensure that none of it is being wasted unnecessarily. Here are two simple things you can do to minimise your home's water wastage.

1. Book a tap service

You may think a tap that only leaks slightly isn't a huge drain on your water supply. However, a single leaking tap can waste up to 20,000 litres of water over a twelve-month period. If you have multiple leaking taps, then your rainwater tank is in trouble. Booking a plumber or appliance service company to do a thorough inspection of all your home's taps is an excellent way to conserve water.

Some taps may only need a simple washer replacement. Other taps, especially mixers, may need to be replaced entirely. Replacing a tap is a good time to switch to a modern, water-saving tap fitting if your old one is a water-guzzling relic. Make sure to have all of your outdoor taps checked too, as their leaks they can often go unnoticed. It's also worth having the plumbing that connects the water supply to your toilets, washing machine, and dishwasher checked for leaks during the inspection.

2. Divert your grey-water

Grey water is the name for the waste water produced by your home, with the exclusion including sewage from your toilets. Although grey water contains cleaning products and food particles, it's possible to reuse it for watering your garden, doing laundry, and flushing the toilets. Reusing your grey water for these purposes will save many litres of fresh drinking water every day.If you're planning to reuse your grey water, it's wise to stick to cleaning products and personal care products that are designed to be safe for use in gardens.

A plumber can easily divert the waste water from some, or all, of your showers, sinks, bath tubs, and the washing machine into a basic irrigation system in your garden. This will keep it green and hydrated all year around, with no extra watering required. If you want to store the grey-water for use in toilets or for washing clothes, then you'll need to install a treatment system as well. These are more expensive to set up, but will greatly increase the amount of water you save.

Water is seen universally as a precious resource, and it's important to conserve it as much as possible. If you're relying on rainwater to supply your family with water, then these tips will make sure your tank stays fuller for longer.