Water Restrictions - How to save water?

[Mom]

So, we officially have a Drought up this way.

We have been warned if we dont reduce water usage we will face restrictions! If they reduce our pressure anymore we will be washing out of a bowl :weep:

It has been a wonderful summer, but, it has created some water supply issues for little Warkworth town. Our river is running low :pinch:

The river is our only supply.

Maha and I are already in the lower decile of water usage :cool: but we have to save more :yes:

We currently are on town supply and have no off roof storage (though I reckon that is about to change).

How do you save water?

Currently we,
dont run the tap when brushing teeth
use a bucket to catch our shower water as it warms up - that goes on the the garden
I actually catch my shower water, but that is cos I dont goes wees in it :innocent:
rinse/peel veges into a bowl, not down the gurgler


the saved water goes to attempt to keep our really pathetic garden alive.

What more can we do?

How do you guys save water?

[PrincessBandit]

If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down...


Does that help? (I remember that cute little saying from a severe water shortage some years ago)

[Mom]

Only do full loads of washing...

[Mom]

If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down...


Does that help? (I remember that cute little saying from a severe water shortage some years ago)

Bleck! Yeah, I forgot that one :pinch:


New rule!

Fanks mate :love:

[hayd3n]

pick up a 1000l tank of trade me and make a leaf catcher then fill from the roof

[Mom]

pick up a 1000l tank of trade me and make a leaf catcher then fill from the roof

When we actually get some rain, will you come show me how?

[Swoop]

Water is a precious resource.

I have somthing like these hooked up for watering the garden. (rather empty at the moment however)
http://www.bb.net.nz/barrels_plastic_steel.htm


Slightly OT...
I am perplexed with farmers.

They go around making vast amounts of money (Fonterra payouts, etc) and cry for government assistance when there is a dry spell.

Canterbury farmers are the worst. The land is not suitable for cattle yet the sheep farms that they bought up/converted to dairy, cut down the shelter belts that protected the land and mitigated erosion, and then drained the local rivers to irrigate portions of the land, are bleating for handouts.

Xin Loi.

[yungatart]

Drain your washing machine water in to a bucket, it is fine for your garden. Don't use the gobbler.
And, last but not least, drink wine instead ;)

[Mom]

And, last but not least, drink wine instead ;)

Wine :love:

Fanks mate!

[ellipsis]

...down here where it is a constant drought 10,000 ltrs minimum stored is only just enough and we drink lots of beer so that we get pissed and forget to wash , but nobody cares and there is always more beer irrespective of drought or even tsunami's...i had a shower tonight but will still drink beer...just to keep in practice...sometimes we do a raindance...generally when we are pissed...they always work but sometimes not for weeks...

[yungatart]

Drain your washing machine water in to a bucket, it is fine for your garden. Don't use the gobbler.
And, last but not least, drink wine instead ;)

And how could I forget, shower with a friend...actually with your shower forget that...go shower at someone else's house!

[Mom]

Xin Loi.

Farmers!

Yeah, yeah, I hear you.

Fact of matter is up this way has "always" been farmer terrtority. I know some people that moved (herds and whanau) down south so they could irrigate year round. They are in trouble now for raping the waterways down south :pinch:

Still, I am facing a bowl wash :eek5:

Last time I did that was on a really dirty weekend away with Maha :o

So, water savings advice?

[Mom]

And how could I forget, shower with a friend...actually with your shower forget that...go shower at someone else's house!

:gob: I know! If they reduce the pressure anymore we are fuckt!

[willytheekid]

BEAR GRYLLS SAYS
http://i.qkme.me/353hb6.jpg
...your welcome :D :love:

[carburator]

stick a brick or two in the toilet cistern ( reduces volume or fit one of those weights that reset's the flush as soon
as your finger comes off..

you need more than a bucket to catch the water from a washing machine, more the size of a bathtub.

shower with a friend.. ( ok that one tends to use more water ) though Ex mil can have a wash and a
shave out of a cup of water

installing a water tank or two and catching water in the winter ( have two 10,000 litre tanks ) just
for the missues garden as we have been on water restrictions for a while now..

[hayd3n]

When we actually get some rain, will you come show me how?

can divert washing machine to it too

[Mom]

installing a water tank or two and catching water in the winter ( have two 10,000 litre tanks ) just
for the missues garden as we have been on water restrictions for a while now..

I really think that this is something we need to look into in the future.


though Ex mil can have a wash and a shave out of a cup of water

Mine never shaved, she must have only used 1/4 to wash, the rest went to waste :pinch:


...your welcome :D :love:

Them free tyres went to your head eh? :rofl:

[BMWST?]

low flow shower rose,front load washing machines use less water

[Motu]

Brought up by parents that grew up on tank water, and then being on tank water ourselves with a young family we went to extremes to save water. The If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down mantra was on the wall of our toilet for visitors. No showers, one bath for all to wash in....dirty fathers last - then I had a pump I dropped in the bath and pumped into the washing machine. So washing last thing at night, fresh water rinse, but bath water wash. The laundry water went into a holding tank which was used on the vege garden in summer, and just run into the stream in winter. Gotta be careful with laundry water on the garden, it's too alkali, that's as bad as an acid soil. Never, ever wash a car or bike....at your house, wash it somewhere else. Wash dishes by hand once a day...minimal water.

We live on our largest river now - no shortage of water, but the filters can't keep up because of the alge in summer. I'm still pretty frugal with water.

[mashman]

Fuck the shower. Sponge bathing is where it's at. Run the dehumidifier... in fact buy fuckloads of them and then sell it to the neighbours, even better would be to get some form of solar array to run them. Dig a well, find the mains and add a ballcock. Move net to the ocean and build a mini desalination plant. Hook a hose up to next door.

[Hitcher]

Buy a shower timer or make yourself one. Seven minutes, in and out. Also get yourself a water-efficient shower rose. The latest ones work really well in terms of an in-shower experience.

[Road kill]

Most toilet and showers at work.

Water for the horse an dogs from the farm bore,,,shared with 4 other families an heaps of cows.

Living with tank water for the house can suck but at lest I don't have to live in town or have close neighbours.

[BMWST?]

Most toilet and showers at work.


that doesnt SAVE water does it

[Motu]

Buy a shower timer or make yourself one. Seven minutes, in and out. Also get yourself a water-efficient shower rose. The latest ones work really well in terms of an in-shower experience.

Where does the water go ? Down the drain - what a waste. You need to maximise the use of the water...multiple use if possible.

[Disco Dan]

I just spent 20 minutes watering the lawn with the hose pipe. Was starting to turn a little yellow.

:headbang:

[Brian d marge]

Brought up by parents that grew up on tank water, and then being on tank water ourselves with a young family we went to extremes to save water. The If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down mantra was on the wall of our toilet for visitors. No showers, one bath for all to wash in....dirty fathers last - then I had a pump I dropped in the bath and pumped into the washing machine. So washing last thing at night, fresh water rinse, but bath water wash. The laundry water went into a holding tank which was used on the vege garden in summer, and just run into the stream in winter. Gotta be careful with laundry water on the garden, it's too alkali, that's as bad as an acid soil. Never, ever wash a car or bike....at your house, wash it somewhere else. Wash dishes by hand once a day...minimal water.

We live on our largest river now - no shortage of water, but the filters can't keep up because of the alge in summer. I'm still pretty frugal with water.

Japanese style , sponge wash from bowl out side bath , qick rinse then into hot bath , the whole family can bathe and the water is STILL clean from the bath we pump that into the washing machine , ( actually the bath is computer controlled and will keep the water warm for as long as u want we have a cover that stops heat loss , so the same clean water can be used for at least a few day ( the bath has a filter etc)

lawns/ and vege gardens , dig em up and add a layer of spagnum moss then mulch ( see lawns in the desert , or no water lawns on internet ) , finally hydroponics or aqua ponics use less water than traditional gardens ( from the clean bath water u used !!)

Finally tell the fking Americans to fk off and let us deal with our own water ! .....and big commerial agriculture !

Stephen

[Nova.]

shower together ;)

[Maha]

If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down...


Does that help? (I remember that cute little saying from a severe water shortage some years ago)

I can't stand that rule, the toilet gets flushed no matter what, nothing is left to simmer.
Kids who are taught/grew up with that rule, carry it on into adulthood...even when there is NO water shortage...it's then called lazyness.
I don't want to look at someones piss soaked toilet paper lurking at the very point I want to .....um, point IYKWIM?

However, I tip the left over water from the jug into the bucket, not down the sink.
Perhaps using the 1/2 flush instead on the full all the time would help also...a habit I should break.

[Akzle]

Buy a shower timer or make yourself one. Seven minutes, in and out. Also get yourself a water-efficient shower rose. The latest ones work really well in terms of an in-shower experience.

7 minutes?! what a waster!
30 seconds of cold water: pits, sack and crack. (and no motivation to stay in longer than needed)

raised garden beds will drain away more water than not-so raised ones.
any trees, but particularly fruit, should be planted in a small hollow in the ground to direct any catchment to the centre of the rootball, but not so it's pooling and rotting the trunk.
MULCH!
don't use a dishwasher. if you have a big sink, buy a square bucket that's smaller than it to fill and do dishes.
USE LESS - use one bowl for brekkie lunch and dinner (quick rinse inbetwixt)
i don't know about bricks, but if you sink a couple of the 2lt softdrink bottles in the toilet cistern that will nearly half your flush, and/or set the water fill level lower, and/or only ever use the "half" flush on the dunny - or all of the above.
dig a long drop :cool:

more, later. i use about 40lt/week by myself, almost double-treble that with the kids.

[BoristheBiter]

We have a 25000L tank and the same before that. Never in 15 years have we ever gone past half full (1m off the top now).
I don't conserve water but i'm not wasteful either.

But I guess again I will have to pay for another dumb arsed pipeline because people just love to waste water.

[Swoop]

that doesnt SAVE water does it

It does if the town supply (rural area) is running low. If working in town (as Mom does) then that would save water at their residence.

[SMOKEU]

Build a water recycling system for the still so the cooling water doesn't all go down the drain.

[wysper]

Buy a shower timer or make yourself one. Seven minutes, in and out.

Jesus, we are down to 2min showers at our place. Kids every second day.

Dishes (hand washed) once a day, water (as its warming up) gets put into the kettle (coffee is still important) or a bottle for drinking water.

As others have said, catch shower water in bucket, this goes to drinking water or garden if there is any excess, or any other use I could think of. If there truly was excess amounts of it I would probably put it back into the tank.

Haven't watered the garden, washed a car or bike in 2 months.

Mellow yellow rule applies.

[Flip]

Water..........

Last week at work we pumped 1.9 million tonnes back up into the lowlands area behind Oamaru.

Yea its getting dry down here also.

[Brett]

I actually catch my shower water, but that is cos I dont goes wees in it :innocent:


the saved water goes to attempt to keep our really pathetic garden alive.

What more can we do?

How do you guys save water?

Go Bear Grylls and save your urine as an afternoon refreshment. The average person drinks 1.5 - 2 litres of water per day on a hot day, so you could halve this by do a 50/50 mix with urine and water. Of course, your urine will get stronger in salts thanks to the increased salts intake, so you might need to balance this.

[Zedder]

Brought up by parents that grew up on tank water, and then being on tank water ourselves with a young family we went to extremes to save water. The If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down mantra was on the wall of our toilet for visitors. No showers, one bath for all to wash in....dirty fathers last - then I had a pump I dropped in the bath and pumped into the washing machine. So washing last thing at night, fresh water rinse, but bath water wash. The laundry water went into a holding tank which was used on the vege garden in summer, and just run into the stream in winter. Gotta be careful with laundry water on the garden, it's too alkali, that's as bad as an acid soil. Never, ever wash a car or bike....at your house, wash it somewhere else. Wash dishes by hand once a day...minimal water.

We live on our largest river now - no shortage of water, but the filters can't keep up because of the alge in summer. I'm still pretty frugal with water.


That certainly brought back memories of earlier years Motu.

We still conserve water automatically even though we're on town supply plus we've got 1500 litres of backup for various uses.

[Murray]

Why not bring forward the England cricket test matches and play all three of them in drought struck areas.

never fails to produce rain - even did it for the first match in Whangarei

[Maha]

Why not bring forward the England cricket test matches and play all three of them in drought struck areas.

never fails to produce rain - even did it for the first match in Whangarei

Mention the words 'BBQ for tea' and it normally rains...we use the BBQ most nights and still no rain.

[Big Dave]

Can't get rid of all the water in SEQ currently. All my favourite roads have turned to bogs.

Last few years we had water restrictions.
It was quite a good bit of social engineering if the way the populace is now more efficient with use is the measure - even though the restrictions have been lifted.
How little water blasters use in comparison to t'ose is the best I got from 'em.

They also have quite a lot of water conservation measures included in the building code too.

[SPman]

Buy a shower timer or make yourself one. Seven minutes, in and out. Also get yourself a water-efficient shower rose. The latest ones work really well in terms of an in-shower experience.
Seven minutes!

Such profligacy!

Two is quite sufficient - with the shower waste out to the garden!

With 550mm a year, (on a good year), tank water and 3 months averaging around 35, we get used to being a tad conservative with water use.

Also, buying in water is fecking expensive - $180 for 12,000 litres.

Anyway - if we want a soak we just float around in the pool...err.... fire fighting reservoir.......

[Road kill]

that doesnt SAVE water does it

It saves the water in My tank.

And the water at work comes from a private bore as well,,,not that I care.

There ya' go hippy,,get stuck in.

[jellywrestler]

The If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down if it's Red????



it's probably oscar pistoriuos's toilet?

[Berries]

Just pretend you are on tank water. And get tanks obviously.

Our house is built on top of two tanks, probably 40,000l but can't tell. Have run out once and that was a bad year coupled with two young kids and two big greenhouses. Just installed a 15,000l tank on the extension which means we should never run out again and means hose pipe bans can fuck right off.

Oh yes, I piss in the sink as well which has become a habit. The cleaners at work aren't impressed much, which is surprising as they are Indonesian. And the wife nearly knocked herself out trying. Fucking Methven.


Why not bring forward the England cricket test matches and play all three of them in drought struck areas.
Sad as it seems I am thinking the same thing about the match next week. We need some rain.

[SPman]

Just pretend you are on tank water. And get tanks obviously.

.All (new) houses out our way have to have 25,000 gallon tanks - ours is only 20,000 gals and I've only ever seen it 85% full - the year we had 650mm of rainfall - not enough roof catchment area. Going to put a gutter on the tank - an extra 64 m2 - it all helps.....

[Owl]

I actually catch my shower water, but that is cos I dont goes wees in it

:eek5:

Tip: If you ski in Winter....don't eat the yellow snow!

[FJRider]

All (new) houses out our way have to have 25,000 gallon tanks - ours is only 20,000 gals and I've only ever seen it 85% full - the year we had 650mm of rainfall - not enough roof catchment area. Going to put a gutter on the tank - an extra 64 m2 - it all helps.....

I think you will find it's a 20,000 LITRE tank.

[SPman]

No - gallons - ours is a 100,000 litre tank - about 8m diameter and 2m high. Our neighbours is 2.3m high, 8m dia. Then, we have 2 6000l other tanks, and several 1000l plastic in frame tanks to pick up water off small sheds and things.....We have a low volume bore
Trouble is, we only have a small house and roof catchment area - house and barn only come to about 190m2 of roof area
We have a low volume bore as well - about 40 gals/hr, but the waters a bit salty.....

[Big Dave]

..We have a low volume bore.

You're not that bad.



I'm in Brisbane medium density - new building has to have.

Tanks - I've got 2 total 20,000 but that's over spec.

Half flush cisterns

Low volume shower heads

Aerators on taps.

Rainwater catchers if swimming pool.

There are probably more but that's all I note.

[Maha]

I have just started with the half flush thing, over the duration of year, that alone is will be a decent saving on the water bill, drought or no drought.

Does not work on the ole' taniwha's though.

[FJRider]

I have just started with the half flush thing, over the duration of year, that alone is will be a decent saving on the water bill, drought or no drought.



Place a brick/rock (or 2) in the bottom of the Cistern ... so when it fills ... there wont be as much water in it as usual. It wont affect it any other way.

[Berries]

I placed a brick in the bottom of the pan one morning and couldn't get rid of it with a fucking hose.





I do love an Italian.

[ellipsis]

...do not drink the stuff, fish fuck in it and it's only at the half way stage as a liquid...hops and other shit have to turn it into something fit for drinking...a priest told me that on the way to the local orgy one afternoon...fuck all water drinking going on there, I can tell you!...

[Big Dave]

Ot - but some might appreciate

In the 24 hours to 9am Sunday, Brisbane received 92 millimetres of rain.
Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, received 168 millimetres in the same period.
Brisbane has already received half its average yearly rainfall.
In the past two days, the city has received 106.4 millimetres of rain – that's about 10 millimetres more than the average rainfall for the entire month of March.
Since 9am on Sunday, nearly 100 millimetres has fallen in Kenmore Hills.
Over the weekend, an upper-level low and a surface trough sitting off the east coast lashed the central and northern parts of the state.
A gauge on Munburra Road, south of Mackay, recorded 325 millimetres of rain from 9am on Sunday.
Mackay received 139 millimetres of rain.
On the Gold Coast, council crews are busy clearing debris from sand cliffs up to four metres high that line much of the shore.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has estimated the repair bill will top about $30 million and has asked for the state government to pitch in.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/states-north-on-cyclone-watch-20130304-2ffc7.html#ixzz2MXk6NXn4

[Brian d marge]

Collect some stienlager bottles or lion red , piss in the bottles untill just below the top , using a capping machine ( cheap from home brew shops) cap the bottle

This will keep for up to a year

and when opened will still taste like piss

Stephen

[Akzle]

Collect some stienlager bottles or lion red , piss in the bottles untill just below the top , using a capping machine ( cheap from home brew shops) cap the bottle

This will keep for up to a year

and when opened will still taste like piss

Stephen

you're a bad person.

[Mom]

I want to find a way to divert our washing machine water to a holding tank for using. This is my new mission :)

[Edbear]

I want to find a way to divert our washing machine water to a holding tank for using. This is my new mission :)

My Bro-in-law in Rotorua makes holding tanks suitable for placing under a deck as well as rotational molded tanks.

[FJRider]

I want to find a way to divert our washing machine water to a holding tank for using. This is my new mission :)

I spent about 9 years working in the irrigation industry. It has been done ... often. The washing powder does affect the plants ... so a biodegradable washing "product" should be used.
Dirty water spread around the same areas will cause a smell (read pong ... and not nice in the vege patch) ... so "water down" the washing water at least 50/50 to reduce this.
A thick scum will also settle on the tank bottom ... and will require cleaning out on a regular basis (how many more dirty jobs do you need ??). It also is a good place for the encouragement of nasty bugs/insects diseases (read infections) to start from. As will the area you regularly place the water.

Washing machine pumps wont pump very high (or far) ... so depending on where you want to situate the holding tank is important (if you really are determined) ... as it may need to be pumped in two stages.

Washing water is best put directly in an area away from the house, and not where you walk on a regular basis. Your health and that of your family depends on this.

They call it GREY water for a reason ...

[Murray]

Why not bring forward the England cricket test matches and play all three of them in drought struck areas.

never fails to produce rain - even did it for the first match in Whangarei

Rain stops play for first test!! Sweeping heavy rain in Dunedin!!

Don't like to say I told you so but !!!!

[Paul in NZ]

Water restrictions piss me off....

In Kapiti - being on the west coast we are hardly short of rain 'cos when it rains it bloody lashes down... There is just no where to store it. So - rather than build useful infrastructure like a decent resevoir we spend $8M plus on fucking water meters and we are brain washed into thinking we are all wasting a precious resource... Arse....

If I want to water my bloody lawn so it looks nice - wtf should I pay through the arse to some lazy council more worried about swimming pools and flash head quarters rather than providing proper infrastructure. The pricks encourage building like crazy to get the consents fees and rates and then restrict the water supply and moan... Just build a bloody dam you morons... Its jobs and water....

[Big Dave]

Remind me about that bit where you pretend to like gardening and she likes motorcycles!

[Paul in NZ]

Remind me about that bit where you pretend to like gardening and she likes motorcycles!

I like to wash my bike too... besides - lawns aint gardening, theys proper bloke stuff...

[Big Dave]

Our house in Auckland had no lawn. Tres easy. Only watered the garden occasionally.

This house I like keeping the grounds tidy but it's nine months of drought followed by three months of rain - is the pattern so far.
My courtyard is coming together nicely though.

You get conditioned to tax on utilities over here.

We just had to pay $5k for a new pool fence because they changed the rules and the old one didn't comply with the standard.

I put in the article on the HOG rally that when I nicked off and rode around Auckland I rejoiced that it didn't cost me $18 in tolls to ride through the tunnel and over the bridge and back. Does here. Tunnel is way more impressive though. Bridge about even.

The up-side, if any, to the meterage is that it's taught the Bogon the value of natural resources via the wallet.

[Maha]

I like to wash my bike too... besides - lawns aint gardening, theys proper bloke stuff...

Motomuck is you friend, uses less water in the process. (well I seem to anyway)