Water Conservation Tips

Limerick County Council’s Water Conservation efforts have resulted in huge water loss reductions – millions of litres a day. You can help support our water initiatives by reducing water waste.

Bathroom

• Don’t fill your bath to the top. Halfway will do.
• Even better, take a quick shower instead of a bath. A shower uses about 32 litres. A bath uses as much as 320 litres.
• Plug the sink when washing your hands and face. Save up to 10 litres every time.
• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth, save up to 10 litres every time.
• Use a glass of water to rinse your mouth.
• Install a low flow toilet or fit a water saving device in your toilet. You could save up to 25,000 litres annually.
• Dispose of rubbish in the waste bin instead of the toilet.
• Use a low flow showerhead.

Plumbing

• Repair leaks promptly. The biggest source of wasted water is often leaking service pipes, taps and cisterns.
• Repair dripping taps. A dripping tap can waste as much as 90 litres a day.
• Insulate your hot water cylinder.
• Insulate hot water pipes. Water is wasted if you turn on a hot water tap and wait for hot water to come out. Insulated pipes will reduce this wastage.

The Kitchen

• Never wash dishes under a running tap. Use the plug in the sink.
• Use a bowl when washing vegetables.
• When filling the kettle, only use as much water as you need.
• Use a dishwasher only for full loads.
• Keep a container of drinking water in the fridge, rather than running the tap for a cool drink. Shake the container before drinking so the water doesn’t taste flat.
• Select the proper size pans for cooking.
• Make only the amount of coffee or tea you are going to drink.

Laundry

• Wash only full loads of laundry. Fill your washing machine.
• If buying a new washing machine, make sure to choose a model that uses less water. Ask and you shall receive.
• Don’t wash clothes unless they need to be washed.

Outside

• Use a bucket of water to wash your car. Washing with a hose will typically use around 300 litres of water – equivalent to around 33 buckets of water.
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean the garage, driveway and footpath.

The Garden

• Keep the blade on your lawn mower sharp. If you mow with a dull blade, you damage your grass, which means it needs more water.
• Also, raise the blade to at least three inches. Clipped grass requires more water.
• Water the lawn only when it needs it. And be careful. Don’t end up watering the wall and footpath as well.
• Never water on a windy, rainy or very hot day.
• Don’t leave the children play with the hose or sprinklers.
• Try and grow plants and trees that don’t require too much watering.
• Even better. Give them a hand. Use ‘mulch’ around your plants – to help them retain moisture.

Extended Periods of Dry Weather

• Refrain from washing cars, building facades, paths etc.
• Refrain from watering gardens, shrubs and trees
  - Shrubs and trees will recover from extended periods of draught (grass yellow or brown in colour will recover);
  - Shrubs and trees can be maintained by light watering every 2 to 3 weeks, as above use mulch to retain moisture.