5 clever ways you can reduce you water bill

With levels at dams in parts of South Africa dangerously low, and your water bill rising, households need to save the precious resource now more than ever. 

Several parts of the country are experiencing water shortages, and just last week the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality was on the brink of a major crisis. Water levels at its Churchill dam dropped to 27% capacity. 

A number of areas in and around Durban had to deal with tough restrictions over the past few months. 

There was good news for Gauteng residents. Officials announced that water restrictions would be lifted following good rains, and record increase in the Vaal Dam's levels.

But the bad news keeps coming for residents in Cape Town. Water officials warned on Friday that if the current conditions continued they would only have enough water for 113 days. 

With a few days until "National Water Week", these five tips will not only help you save water, but put a few extra bucks back into your pocket. 

Don't throw out your pasta cooking water

Drain your pasta cooking liquid into a pot and wait for it to cool down. Once cool, you can use it to water your household plants! 

Full washing loads

Don't throw one or two clothing items in the washing machine, because you are too lazy to hand wash them. Rather wait until you have a full load of laundry, as washing machines can use a lot of water. The same applies to dish washers. 

Fix leaks asap

This seems pretty obvious, but how many times have you put off fixing that toilet leak or dripping tap? Leaks that are not repaired swiftly could be contributing a great deal to your water bill.  eThekwini Municipality reportedly lost R710-million in revenue due to 130-million kilolitres of water being wasted during the 2015-2016 financial year. If your water bill increases sharply, check for leaks! 

Use less toilet water 

Next to water leaks, flushing your toilet constantly can waste a lot of water. In fact, flushing is one of the main areas of the household where water is wasted. Some older toilets use up to nine litres of water per flush,  and with the average person going to the loo at least five times a day, it definitely adds to your bill quickly. If you don't have a low pressure toilet, this tip might help. Pour about five centimeters of sand or gravel into a water bottle (or two), before placing inside your toilet tank. You have probably seen people using bricks, but those are likely to cause damage. 

Save shower water

Having a shower instead of taking a bath will save you bucket loads of water. But not everyone who takes a shower is saving water. Some people leave the water running for long periods of time, including while shaving in the shower, while others waste water waiting to get the right temperature. You can avoid this by setting a timer so you spend less time in the shower or use a bucket to catch water while you wait. You can use this to flush your toilet, water your plants or wash your floors.