With drought conditions in the Far North putting pressure on water supplies and predictions of no substantial rain arriving before March or early April, the Far North Environment Centre encourages you to follow these water-saving tips:
1. Drinking water: keep a container of drinking water in the fridge, rather than running water until cool enough to drink.
2. Dripping taps: replace any leaking washers. Turn taps off gently to make washers last longer.
3. Dish washing: Put the plug in! Don’t rinse dishes or vegies under a running under tap. Better still, put a plastic basin in the sink and recycle the rinse water onto the garden.
4. Toilet: check toilet not running constantly. If possible minimise flushes. If your cistern is old, place a brick in it to reduce the amount of water needed to fill it.
5. Bathroom: shower instead of a bath or share bath water. Share the shower with a bucket or fish-bin and give the collected water to your fruit trees. Turn the tap off while shaving or while cleaning your teeth.
6. Check water meter: if the meter is turning round while water is not in use, there’s a leak on the loose! Trace it and fix it.
7. Overflow pipes: check the hot water overflow pipe is not continually flowing onto the roof – there may be grit in the washer (contact your local plumber).
Going to the Kaitaia A & P Show this year? Check out the Sustainability Information site on Saturday where Suzanne and Soozee from the Environment Centre will be available for a chat and more ideas on how to save water and money in your household, plus tips on organic gardening from Taitokerau Organics and networking for know-how with Transition Town Kaitaia.
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