Water usage...how you doin?????
Apr 22nd 2007, 3:34 am
#16
Ok this isn't so bad
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Dundee (Scotland) now Bayside Brisbane
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Apr 22nd 2007, 5:08 am
#17
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Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
Apr 22nd 2007, 5:14 am
#18
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
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Apr 22nd 2007, 6:24 am
#19
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Location: Umina, NSW
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Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
Apr 22nd 2007, 9:05 am
#20
youngy73
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: kewarra beach, cairns
Posts: 940
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
Got my quarterly rates bill a couple of days ago. To my absolute shock I have a daily water usage of 1350 ltrs per day
Some of this was for a period before we bought the house so I phoned up and was told not to worry my average since we moved in is 920 per day
This means we are in excess of the 800 ltr cap set out by the state. I cant believe it. We have every water saving device around, 1350 ltr water tank, grey water system, dual flush toilets the lot. The lady at the council said that as a family of 4 this is average, but I feel I am doing wrong. I will now be audited. I do however have a heavy water consumer, a pool. I have installed rain water diverters but it does help if it rains...
I have checked for a leak and all is ok, someone must be drinking the stuff.
Its not until it is put in front of you in black and white that you realise just how much you use.
PS. The family who had the house before us used an average of 4500 ltrs a day, no confidentiality in Australian council systems...
Some of this was for a period before we bought the house so I phoned up and was told not to worry my average since we moved in is 920 per day
This means we are in excess of the 800 ltr cap set out by the state. I cant believe it. We have every water saving device around, 1350 ltr water tank, grey water system, dual flush toilets the lot. The lady at the council said that as a family of 4 this is average, but I feel I am doing wrong. I will now be audited. I do however have a heavy water consumer, a pool. I have installed rain water diverters but it does help if it rains...
I have checked for a leak and all is ok, someone must be drinking the stuff.
Its not until it is put in front of you in black and white that you realise just how much you use.
PS. The family who had the house before us used an average of 4500 ltrs a day, no confidentiality in Australian council systems...
Apr 22nd 2007, 10:28 am
#21
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Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Sutton Coldfield now beautiful Karalee
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Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
Apr 22nd 2007, 11:00 am
#22
youngy73
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: kewarra beach, cairns
Posts: 940
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
it hasnt rained for a couple of weeks so ive had to water the garden. water usage normally doubles in the dry season. i use about 2500 litres every time i water. normally 3 times a week with the sprinklers. i also wander around the garden with beer in one hand and hose in the other most days after work. im going for the lush tropical garden. its all been from cuttings and propagation and been in about 1 1/2 years now. i have got lots of gingers and heliconias plus the veggie patch which need a lot of water. at 62 cents a 1000 litres i dont give the cosat a second thought. i guess its one of the plusses of living in this part of oz but we get shafted on just about everything else. all the money and infastructure seems to go into the great south east.why the government has discounted the idea of pipelines and new dams i dont know.im just enjoying it while i can because these days wont last forever.
Apr 22nd 2007, 1:23 pm
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
505l per day.
That's 3 people but admittedly 1 is a toddler.
This will go down now we have the toilets and washing machine plumbed into water tanks.
That's 3 people but admittedly 1 is a toddler.
This will go down now we have the toilets and washing machine plumbed into water tanks.
Apr 22nd 2007, 11:18 pm
#24
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Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Adelaide - South Australia
Posts: 1,820
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
While out looking at dishwashers yesterday took a look at the water figures for some of the top loader washing machines. It's crazy they're still allowed to sell a machine that uses 165 litres per wash! :curse: Ours uses 40!
Water use for 2 of us is about 280 litres a day. If we include the water wasted keeping the grass in the rental green that jumps up to 600 litres a day.
Water use for 2 of us is about 280 litres a day. If we include the water wasted keeping the grass in the rental green that jumps up to 600 litres a day.
Apr 25th 2007, 7:59 pm
#25
Canberra bound
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,062
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
My parents are always telling me of the latest developments in water restrictions - they are in Brisbane. Iv'e already started teaching my son how to do it from the loo to the toothbrush and using the shower instead of the bath all the time - give it time and we will be prepared - I think
Apr 25th 2007, 10:11 pm
#26
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Location: Carina, Brisvegas
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Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
400 l per day for 4 people we think. That's averaging over 5 months in a new house and assuming it was zero when we moved in so the builders might have used some before that. We'll check it again at the weekend. No pool, no garden to speak off just landscaping, a few trees and lots of pots which get watered from buckets of water from the front loading washing machine. Yellow mellow to a certain extent but then I get fed up and go round flushing everything. All the latest low flow taps and showers etc. I bought a shower timer from Bunnings that beeps very annoyingly. Two beeps at 2 mins, 3 beeps at 3 mins etc. and the beeps get louder and more annoying. 2 teenage boys cannot stand the beeps past 4 mins. Myself I use the old Navy shower technique. Know it? Run cold water first into a bucket to use elsewhere. When it comes through hot, wet yourself down. Turn off. Shampoo, soap. turn on again and rinse. Uses loads less.
why do they make water meters for difficult to read? We have to lift a grid in the garden, trying not to get too much soil in and peer down into a deep hole. Watch out for red backs!
why do they make water meters for difficult to read? We have to lift a grid in the garden, trying not to get too much soil in and peer down into a deep hole. Watch out for red backs!
Apr 25th 2007, 10:50 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 33
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
Tricky when we're in a rented place - we don't see the water bill as the landlord gets it and pays it. We can't install a tank and can't make any other modifications like taps and shower heads. Dual flush loo anyway, when I can find a brick that fits I'll bung that in the cistern too like we used to do back home!
The kitchen is now permanently full of dirty washing up as with only two if us there isn't enough to make it worth using water for until its been there 3-4 days......so we have rampant ants!!
Don't go near the garden - the landlord has the responsibility for doing it and its only a dustbowl anyhow, no plants to worry about.
Got a lovely water efficient front loader that I only use when its full.
So apart from not washing - (which I have to do for the sake of my nightmare skin!) - I don't see what else we can do.......so why do I feel guilty when people go on about "you must use less water"?
The kitchen is now permanently full of dirty washing up as with only two if us there isn't enough to make it worth using water for until its been there 3-4 days......so we have rampant ants!!
Don't go near the garden - the landlord has the responsibility for doing it and its only a dustbowl anyhow, no plants to worry about.
Got a lovely water efficient front loader that I only use when its full.
So apart from not washing - (which I have to do for the sake of my nightmare skin!) - I don't see what else we can do.......so why do I feel guilty when people go on about "you must use less water"?
Pollyana,
Ask your rental firm to approach your landlord and request the $20 water check, we're in a rental but we did, so the guy came around, he lowered the flow rates on all taps and showers and repaired any dripping taps/showers!
Thankfully we've dual flush toilets and a front loader.
In our new place we're having the above PLUS the the washing machine/toilets will run off the 5000l water tank and we'll install water diverters for the garden.
Current showering - get wet, turn off, lather, turn on and rinse, that's even with low flow shower heads!
Friends annoy me by not even having the low flow items fitted AND most of'em are Australians!
Wolf.
Apr 25th 2007, 11:24 pm
#28
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,834
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
we are just under 600 a day for 4 of us..........got a pool, front loading washer(this has made a huge diff but leckie is up a tad) and a dishwasher which goes on once a day.
Apr 26th 2007, 2:47 am
#29
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Water usage...how you doin?????
We have been using just over the daily recommended but our girls are 14 and 12 and we are struggling to get them out of the 20 minute shower routine:curse:
We haven't topped the pool up since last October, we seem to either have just enough rain when it gets low, or it doesn't evaporate - thank god. We must get a cover though as we are probably putting gas heating in for it.
