Taps

Leaving a tap running wastes water and if it’s a hot tap, it will waste energy too.

Top tap tips

  • A running tap uses about 16 litres of water per minute
  • A dripping tap can waste up to 12,000 litres a year! That's a lot of water, so if your tap is dripping you should be getting it fixed
  • Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth. Wet your brush and use a glass for rinsing
  • Don’t rinse your razor under a running tap. Filling the basin with a little warm water is just as effective and less wasteful
  • When washing dishes by hand, don’t rinse them under a running tap. If you have two sinks, fill the second one with rinsing water. If you have only one sink, stack washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a pan of hot water
  • Use washing-up liquid sparingly as this will reduce the amount of rinsing required when washing dishes by hand
  • Use a plugged sink or a pan of water. This saves running the tap continuously
  • When boiling vegetables, use enough water to cover them and keep the lid on the saucepan
  • Flow-controlled aerators for taps are inexpensive and can reduce water flow by 50 per cent
  • Don’t use running water to defrost frozen food. Ideally place food in refrigerator to defrost overnight
  • If you have a leaking tap, replace the washer or other components as required. Dripping taps can waste 30 to 200 litres of water per day