According to Nigel Finney, CEO of the savewater! Alliance®, the average daily water consumption in Melbourne during Summer is 1,675ML* — or 167.5 Olympic sized swimming pools. This represents a 53 per cent increase over Winter water use, 40 per cent more than Spring and 28 per cent more than Autumn.

Mr Finney is confident that this high Summer statistic can be reduced if all households implement the following water saving tips.

"The average Melburnian uses 40 buckets of drinking quality water per day, however only one is used for drinking or cooking – the rest is used for cleaning or for the garden," says Mr Finney. "That leaves enormous room for improvement in these areas alone."

Says Mr Finney: "If we can change the way we use water at home and in the garden then we’re on track for conserving water for the future."

Tip 1 — Plant a drought tolerant garden
Summer in Melbourne isn’t known for high rainfall - so why plant a garden that requires large amounts of drinking water?

• Plant species with lower water requirements, such as cacti, succulents or indigenous (local native) species suited to your local conditions. See the plant selector at savewater.com.au
• Plant species with similar water needs in the same area of the garden – then you know how much to water them and there is no need to over-water the plants that need less.
• Mulch the garden to prevent water evaporation from the soil. Mulch can also provide thermal insulation for the soil and protect your plants from the effects of temperature extremes.

Tip 2 — Keep water sports in the water
Did you know that the average garden hose can deliver 100 buckets of water an hour? That’s why the days of having water fights using garden hoses and running through sprinklers and are no longer funny. If you want to keep cool and have a good time with water, try swimming at the beach, at the local pool or in your own backyard pool (remember that you’ll need a permit to fill it up if it holds more than 2,000 litres).

Tip 3 — Put a cover on your pool or spa
If you do have a pool at home, make sure you cover it when it's not in use. This helps to reduce evaporation and the need to refill. It can also keep the water cleaner, reducing the need to add chemicals.

Tip 4 — Wash salad in a bucket
Leaving the kitchen tap on while you wash a lettuce and other salad vegies can waste up to 20 litres of water a minute. Instead, wash salads in a bucket or tub filled with a small amount of water. You can then reuse this water on the plants in the garden.

Tip 5 — Wash clothes and beach towels in a full load
Wait until you have a full load before washing beach towels, clothes and sheets in the washing machine and you’ll save water every wash – plus cut your electricity costs as well.

Tip 6 — Install a water saving showerhead
Older-style showerheads can use more than 2 buckets of water a minute, while the latest technology AAA rated water saving showerheads use less than one bucket a minute, and still give you a great shower. So you can save more than half your water every minute – over a year that can add up to almost 1,500 buckets per person if you have a four minute shower each day. Installing latest design AAA rated showerheads can save the average family $150 per year in hot water bills, yet cost less than $100-$150 to purchase. So after one year you are pocketing $150 cash annually. Let alone the reductions in harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Tip 7 — Take shorter showers – including at the beach
The average Melburnian showers for seven minutes - with a water saving showerhead, this uses around 63 litres of water (and more if you don’t yet have a water efficient showerhead). Even though the weather may be hot, try reducing your shower to four minutes. At the beach, simply rinse off sand and salt quickly under the outdoor showers – don’t use the showers to cool off.

Tip 8 — Install a dual flush toilet
A 'AAA' rated dual flush toilet uses 30 per cent less water than older dual flush cisterns – with a full flush using six litres of water and a half flush using three litres. The newest models are 'AAAA' rated and use just 4.5 litres for a full flush. And remember only to use the full flush when it is needed – just a simple choice can save thousands of litres of precious water each year.

Tip 9 — Don’t drown your dog with water
Only fill the laundry sink or the bath with a small amount of water when washing the family dog. Alternatively, use a bucket outside and use a trigger hose to rinse off the lather.

Tip 10 — Use a tap timer for the sprinkler
Put a simple tap timer on the sprinkler, so it turns off automatically if you forget. To work out how long to set it for, put an ice cream container under the sprinkler and time how long it takes to fill to a depth of 10mm. And remember that under current water restrictions, manual watering systems (which include your sprinkler) can only be used between 8pm and 10am; a tap timer will turn the sprinkler off if you happen to fall asleep after turning it on.

"By following these easy tips, every person should be able to save eight buckets of water a day over summer – or any time of the year," says Mr Finney. “However if only one in two people makes the effort, the second person must save 16 buckets and so on. So we all should be doing our bit.

Water saving households will also benefit from a reduction in running costs (spending less on water, energy and detergent bills) and from making a practical environmental change.

Further water saving tips and ideas can be found at www.savewater.com.au

* Based on a five year average from 2000-04. Statistics sourced from Melbourne Water's "Weekly Water Update" archives.