Water conservation

Water is one of our most precious and limited resources

This guide will help to understand more about water, how to save it and maintain a healthy supply for ourselves and future generations.

Read on to learn

How much water we use
How to look after our drains to protect the health of our water supply
What’s hot and what’s not when it comes to what we flush down the drain, toilet and how we dispose of toxic fluids we use, such as paint.

Why we need to save water

Water is a precious and limited resource. We encourage careful use of water by turning taps off when not in use, such as during teeth brushing. We recommend extreme caution when flushing substances down drains, avoiding all chemicals, medications and paints – which cannot be safely broken down in wastewater treatment plants.

This page is about helping us all to learn new ways to save water so that we can preserve the health and safety of our water supply network.

Did you know 97.5% of world’s water is in the oceans? This is too salty for human consumption. The remaining 2.5% is nearly all in the ice caps, leaving a relatively small residue for:

Drinking and cooking
Washing and cleaning
Growing food
Food and water for animals

Top tips to save water

Take shorter showers.
Put a bucket in the shower while waiting for it to heat up – use this water in the garden.
Save six litres of water a minute by turning off taps while brushing teeth.
Turn taps off properly.
Use water flow reducer attachments on taps – this saves electricity and CO2 emissions as well as water.
Use shorter cycles on your washing machine.
Wash clothes only when the washing machine is full – save water and power from doing fewer loads.
Use the dishwasher only when it is full – save water by not hand washing dishes, which uses more water.
Check for leaks in faucets and pipes around your property.
Water the garden early in the morning or late in the day to prevent evaporation by heat.
Water plants manually instead of with a sprinkler, which uses more water.
Leave a water container in the garden for birds and insects to drink from and bathe in.
Catch and keep your rainwater in a tank.
Buy energy efficient appliances, if and when you need new ones.
Reduce food waste to save water and money – use a home compost or create your own Bokashi composting bin – all you need is a bucket, a packet of Bokashi yeast (hardware stores can supply it).
Eat more of the food you buy – save money and reduce waste (for instance, freeze stale bread to use for puddings and breadcrumbs).
Eat less meat – animal production requires significant water use.
Use dishwashing water (aka grey water) on the garden or for cleaning outdoor areas. Used household water is called grey water when it doesn’t contain fecal contamination.

Human habits can reduce available healthy water and contaminate our water supply

Sewage, agricultural run off and all dumped rubbish can place a significant strain on the environment on fresh water availability in rivers and lakes; on wildlife and on plant life, causing harm to our ecosystems and, ultimately, to our food supply.
For this reason, our treated waste water (sewerage) legally has to be disposed of on land rather than in our waterways nationwide by the year 2030.
This is to reduce damage already caused to rivers, lakes and oceans, which potentially reduces the availability of food from rivers and oceans.
How we dispose of chemicals can have a powerful negative impact on our water supply and there are safer ways to get rid of toxic substances, without putting them down our drains.

Tips to avoid blocked drains

Our sinks can be convenient for waste disposal but this is best avoided because drains are built for water rather than waste. Follow our guide below to see which substances can block drains and contaminate our water supply.

Avoid flushing these substances down any drain

Fat, oil and grease from cooking – all fats stick to the side of drains, bind with other residues and cause blockage.
Coffee grounds – are not water soluble so can block drains. It is best to dispose of them in your own or a friend’s garden.
Cooking sauces – can block drains and bind with other residues. Compost or use a Bokashi bin, which breaks down all food waste – see details below.
Wet wipes, nappies, feminine hygiene products – these materials can all instantly block drains and be costly to remove.
Medication and plastics – are both dangerous for the environment and for the drinking water chain, putting potentially harmful chemicals into our food chain and into the environment. Take all medicines to the pharmacy for disposal.
Cat litter – blocks drains and contains bacteria that can get into the drinking water chain.
Systemic (human made) chemicals – avoid putting all chemicals down drains because they find their way into our drinking water and contaminate the water we consume. In extreme cases, our drinking, cooking and cleaning water can become unsafe with high levels of contamination.
Paint can cause enormous environmental damage in waterways because it does not break down. It is best disposed of by allowing it to dry out and then giving it to recycling plants or paint stores.
Wash paint brushes in buckets of water – one with soap and one to rinse – put in general rubbish for collection
Soap – yes, it can be one of the biggest drain blockers, if is it made from animal fat. Use vegetable based soaps which are healthier for our water supply and our own health.

How to use grey water – DIY or install

Grey water is the household water that tends to go to waste as showers and sinks heat up or after use. Most people do not collect this water, either manually or through an installed system. A significant amount of household water goes unused so it is helpful to be aware of grey water and to collect it, either manually or via a professionally installed greywater system.

How to collect grey water

The simplest way to collect greywater is in buckets from household activities to reuse on the garden (under rather than on plants), to wash outdoor areas or to clean the car.

Warm up water – collect cold water while waiting for it to heat up for showers or other washing activities.
Kitchen sink – reuse water from washing vegetables or dishes by washing them in a bowl.
Cooking water – keep the water used to cook food on the stovetop and use on the garden when it cools down.
Rinsing water – water plants with the left over water used for rinsing or cleaning bottles or pots and pans.
Bathroom sinks and baths – collect water from daily routines into buckets.
Showers – keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up and while you shower then use it in the garden.
Coffee dregs – pour leftover coffee or add water to coffee grinds and dispose of in the garden. This is particularly good for acid loving plants, such as azelias and blueberries.
Use all left over water from bottled water, pet water bowls or hot water bottles – use in the garden.

Top tips to use greywater

Use left over household water from sinks and showers, even when the water contains a residue of food, grease or hair
Use grey water on the roots of vegetables, fruit trees and berries rather than on the edible parts of plants

Don’t

Don’t use water from the toilet or from washing nappies – all water containing fecal matter is called black water.
Don’t use grey water on edible parts of plants, such as green leaves and fruit or vegetables
Don’t let grey water run into streams, ponds or the sea.

How to install a grey water system

DIY grey water irrigation systems can be installed with a diverter for your washing machine.
Pay for professional grey water installation.

How to dispose of food compost – with or without a garden

Compost buckets can be used to collect a large amount of food waste to put into a compost bin or pile for your garden or try a bin that breaks down all food waste – see below.
Bokashi bins take their name from the Japanese word, bokashi, which means fermented organic matter. This system recycles all kitchen waste (protein, citrus, bread, old bits of cheese and all food scraps), is low maintenance and low cost. All kitchen food waste can be put into a bin with a lid that seals and turned into nutrient rich, useable compost to put directly onto the garden within weeks. There is no smell, no flies and all you need are two bins with sealable lids and a packet of Bokashi flakes. One bin is your useable bin while the other is breaking the food down. Easy to use guides are widely available online.
If you don’t have a garden or don’t want to garden, the waste from your bokashi bin can be given to a friend for their garden – or tipped onto any part of your garden.
Bokashi bins are used worldwide and also conserve water by adding rich nutrients to plants, which makes constant watering of the garden less important.

How to read your water meter

Please contact us here at South Wairarapa District Council to find out more or ask for help with your water, phone 06 306 9611 or email enquiries@swdc.govt.nz