Yarra Valley Water’s top tips to be water-wise in 2025
Tiffany White, General Manager Strategy and Community said Yarra Valley Water is encouraging Melburnians to adopt simple water-saving habits to conserve this precious resource and lower their water bills.
“We know many people spend their holidays at home during the Melbourne summer, which can lead to higher water use. In fact, we see a 25% increase in water use in summer compared to other seasons,” Ms White said.
“We’re encouraging people to make every drop count and we’ve put together a list of our favourite water saving tips. Small changes and simple habits can make a real difference and we know that if we each save a little, we all save a lot,” said Ms White.
Yarra Valley Water’s top tips to be water-wise in 2025 are:
- Shower shorter, save water
Cutting just one minute off your shower time can save 8 litres of water on average. Reduce your shower time to 4 minutes and you can save an average of $200 a year on water and energy bills1. - Fix leaky taps and pipes
A dripping tap can waste up to 4 litres of water a day. Fixing leaks early saves money in the long run. - Use the half flush
19% of household water use is flushed down the toilet. Use the half flush on dual flush toilets for pee and paper and save the full flush for solid waste. - Be a water-wise gardener
Water your garden early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation and use a trigger nozzle on your hose. Use mulch or compost to increase moisture in the soil too. - Install water-efficient fixtures
If you’re planning home improvements, replace old showerheads, taps, and appliances with water-efficient models. Look for products with a high WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) rating. Swap the hose for a broom
Use a broom instead of a hose when you’re cleaning driveways, footpaths, and patios.
- Collect rainwater
Set up a rainwater tank to collect rainwater to use in your garden or to wash your car. - Wash full loads
Washing a full sink or water-efficient dishwasher can save you 10 litres of water a day. If you’ve only got a few dishes, fill the sink to a third of the way. - Turn off the tap
Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth or shave, and put a plug in the sink if you’re washing vegetables or dishes by hand. - Use a pool cover
If you have a swimming pool, use a cover to reduce evaporation and keep the water clean, so you don’t need to refill as often.
These top tips help Melburnians to reach the Victorian Government’s T150 target, a voluntary water-efficiency initiative to get people thinking about how much water they use. It encourages residents to limit water use to 150 litres per person, per day.
Ms White said customers can track their water use on their quarterly water bill and see how much they use over time. “Customer bills include a handy breakdown of how much water the household has used that quarter. It can be surprising to see how much that is, and understanding water use is the first step in planning to reduce it.”
Permanent water saving rules are also always in place in Victoria. The Victorian Government's water saving rules help people use water more efficiently and encourage all Victorians to value this precious resource for the long term. Melburnians can learn more about these rules at: www.water.vic.gov.au/for-households/water-restrictions-and-rules
For more water saving and leak test information visit yvw.com.au/saving-water
Notes
Water and money saving amounts are available at yvw.com.au/saving-water on via The Water Conservancy Smart Water Advice https://smartwateradvice.org/how-to-save-water/home/taps/
1 Assumes three people in a household, natural gas – storage 4 star unit, 7.1 minute average shower time.