Details for In the Bathroom: Water and Energy Saving Tips

Water is an essential resource. In recent years, intense droughts, climate change and continued population growth have made it increasingly apparent that Australian water needs to be used more wisely, and it is crucial that all of us take responsibility. Approximately half of Australian household water use and 14-25% of household energy use occurs in the bathroom. Installing aerators, flow restrictors and water efficient showerheads, as well as managing the time and temperature of showers, are some of the simple, cheap and easy ways that thousands of kilolitres of water could be saved each year.

When buying new bathroom appliances such as tap aerators or showerheads, using the WELS rating scheme is a good way to ensure you are buying the most water wise product. The higher WELS star rating, the more water efficient the appliance (Table 1).

Source: http://www.waterrating.gov.au/

Aerators

Tap aerators are small cylinders with mesh on the end that can be fitted at the end of taps. Installing tap aerators is an easy way to reduce household water consumption. A standard tap can use approximately 15-18 litres of water/minute. Tap aerators can reduce water usage by half by adding air to the water. They do not reduce water pressure or the wash and rinse effect.

Aerators can be screwed onto almost any tap and are available in a wide range of sizes and flow rates. Different flow rates are suggested for different applications (i.e. bathroom taps, compared to kitchen or laundry taps). Sydney Water suggests the following aerators should be used: 

• a 5L/min aerator for bathroom hand basins; and
• a 7.6L/min aerator for kitchen/laundry basins.

There are three main types of aerator flow types available. These include laminar flows, spray flows and aerated flows (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Aerator Flow Types. 1) Aerated. 2) Laminar. 3) Spray. Image copied from Sydney Water (2011)

• Aerated flows soften the water flow by introducing air into the water stream. This reduces the likelihood of water splash and makes them good for applications such as washing dishes.
• Laminar flows provide a clear water stream by removing air producing parallel streams of water. They are good at preventing airborne bacteria from entering the water and hence are often used in hospitals.

Spray flow aerators spread the water stream over a broader area and are used in low flow conditions. These are good for toilet basins as they ensure full coverage when hand washing. Tap aerators are available from most hardware and plumbing shops and are generally under $10. When installing aerators, a plumber is not necessary as they can generally be fitted by following simple instructions.

Flow Regulators and Restrictors

Flow regulators and restrictors are little plastic discs that can be fitted into taps which limit the amount of water that flows through the supply pipe (Figure 2). They decrease the diameter of the water flow path so that less water can pass through. They do not affect water pressure. They can be used with almost any tap and most showers. They are cheap to buy and easy to install. Regulators/Restrictors have cartridges which limit the flow to 2- 12 litres/ minute. They are available for 15 mm and 22 mm pipes.

Figure 2 Flow Regulators.

Flow Aerators and Regulators are amazing water savers on both the short and long term. For example, if a family from the Namoi area uses 500L/day and water flow was reduced by only 30 %, 150 L/day could be saved. This will translate to saving 54 000 L water per year for one family! If just 100 families in the region implemented this practice, 5 400 KL of water could be saved every year. This equates to over 2 Olympic swimming pools worth of water.  

Water Efficient Showerheads

Approximately 70% of Australian homes still use ‘pre-water saving’ showerheads which use approximately 20 litres of water per minute. However, there are many WELS three star rated water efficient showerheads available from plumbing and hardware shops that can help to save thousands of litres of water, while still giving a great shower. These three star rated showerheads use 9 litres/ minute.

Water saving showerheads are easy to install, however it is important to check that they will fit with existing plumbing before buying. Water efficient shower heads are great to save water and money off water and power bills (Table 2). For example, if a Tamworth residential family of 4 people each have a 10-minute shower every day for a year with a three star WELS shower head instead of a normal showerhead, almost $160/year can be saved (not including electricity heating costs).

Cost is using 2012 Tamworth consumption charge 1^st Tier (1.26/kilo Litre). This does not include a water maintenance/reading fee.

Cooler and Shorter Showers

Hot showers generally use more water than cold showers due to the extra time the water is running while it is heating up. In addition, people are more likely to spend a greater amount of time in a warm shower than a cool, refreshing one. However, as well as the costs for the water, it costs money to heat shower water. By cooling the temperature of showers, people will generally shower for less time and save water and money. In the shower, water and energy can also be saved by always trying to turn the water down, instead of up. This will result in less water being used at a good temperature. To further save showering water, the water can be turned off when lathering to shave or washing hair and can be just used to rinse. This will also most likely encourage shorter showering times.

It is estimated that the Australian average showering time is around 7 minutes, which uses approximately 140L and costs around 18 cents. For a Tamworth resident using a normal showerhead, every 5 minutes taken off showering time can save more than 10 cents or more than 7 cents if using a water efficient shower head.

To help showerheads and aerators work with maximum efficiency, they periodically will need to be cleaned. Using water and vinegar and toothpicks for any stubborn grit and help ensure the water will run freely and prevent the build-up of grit. A site where Australians can commit to different shower water savings can be accessed from the following URL: http://www.oneminuteshower.com.au/index.php?page=ideas-energy