In the Home

H2OmeCalc

Use this tool from savewater! to work out the most cost efficient and effective way to use rainwater and greywater in your home and garden. This is an individualised program, so you’ll need to gather some information before using the calculator, including:
• The types of appliances in your home that use water
• The area of your roof and garden areas
• The type of garden you have

There is a Before Using H2OmeCalc fact sheet, and Using H2OmeCalc fact sheet to help you along the way.

Set a water saving target

Here you’ll find a quick guide on how much water is used in different parts of the house. There are also ideas on how to cut your water use, and how much water you can save by buying water efficient products.

Saving water in the home

A great overview of all the information available at savewater!. This page shows how you can make water savings in all parts of your home.

Changing your showerhead – video

This video has a demonstration on how to change your showerhead.

How to measure flow rates

Showerheads can use between 9 and 20 litres a minute. Your showerhead might look like an old style, but that doesn’t mean it’s not efficient.

Find out here how to measure the flow rate of your showerhead. This will give you an accurate figure for how much water you use in the shower each minute.

Your can also use this tool to measure the flow rate of your taps.

How to install a flow controller

After you’ve measured the flow rate of your taps, you may want to install flow control valves. This video shows you how.

How to change a tap washer

The most common reason for a leaking tap is a worn tap washer as it can no longer create a tight seal. You’ll learn how easy it is to do this yourself with this step by step instruction video.

Greywater

Greywater is water that has already been used in your house. Instead of letting it go down the drain into the sewer system, greywater can be captured and used in certain circumstances outside your home.

Greywater is managed by councils, with each council having different regulations regarding the storage and use of greywater. As it has already been ‘used’ in your home, it is important to store and use it correctly to avoid the water-borne diseases we see in countries without adequate sanitation.

There are a number of dos and don’ts when using greywater. For instance, it should not be used to water vegetables that you will eat raw, or during wet periods when it won’t soak into the soil. savewater! has a full list that shows you how to use greywater safely.

It also has developed a program, GreySmart, to help you understand how you can use greywater on your property. It details state and local government regulations, the different greywater systems available, suppliers and what rebates are on offer.