Reducing household water use without cutting hygiene

Find the leaks first

A leaking tap or a continuously running toilet wastes more water than most behaviour changes save, and it costs nothing to stop. Check by reading your meter, leaving the household without using water for an hour, and reading it again. Movement means a leak.

Reductions that do not compromise hygiene

• Catch the cold water that runs while you wait for the tap to warm, and use it for plants, flushing or cleaning.
• Wash dishes in a basin rather than under a running tap.
• Run the washing machine with full loads.
• Sweep floors and outdoor areas instead of hosing them.
• Water plants in the early morning or late afternoon, so less evaporates.
• Keep drinking water in a covered pitcher so nobody runs the tap to get it cold.

Reductions that are not safe

Do not cut back on handwashing, on washing food, or on cleaning utensils and food surfaces. During a water shortage, the risk of diarrhoeal disease rises, which is exactly when hygiene matters most. Reduce elsewhere.

Do not reuse greywater on food crops that are eaten raw, and do not store greywater, which turns septic quickly.

Using lower quality water where it is appropriate

Water that is not fit to drink can still be fine for flushing toilets or cleaning outdoor areas. Keep it in clearly marked containers, well away from drinking water storage, so nobody confuses the two. Labelling matters more than it sounds: in a dark house during an interruption, two identical drums are a genuine hazard.