Water usage – how much is too much?

OWING to the drought, the City of uMhlathuze has implemented Stage 4 drought tariffs and penalties.

This means that each household can use 15 kilolitres of water and will thereafter be penalised for additional water consumption.

But do consumers actually grasp what 15 kilolitres actually represent in terms of household consumption?

To give readers some sort of guideline, the average monthly water consumption per household of four comprises:

Bath
• One bath per person per day for a month – 8 960 litres
• Two baths per person per day for a month – 17 960 litres

Shower
• One 5-minute shower per person per day for a month – 8400 litres
• Two 5-minute showers per person per day for a month – 16 800 litres

Dishwasher
• 30 loads per month – 840 litres

Toilet
• Three flushes per person per day for a month – 3 696 litres

Washing machine
• 12 loads per month in a modern machine – 540 litres

Brushing your teeth with the tap on
• Two minutes per person per day for a month – 1 344 litres

Brushing your teeth with the tap off
• Two minutes per person per day for a month – 112 litres

How can I save water?
Simply showering twice a day, doing washing, brushing your teeth and using a dishwasher will use more than the allocated 15 kilolitres per month, which means you will be paying penalties for the extra water consumed.

There are many ways to reduce one’s water consumption without depriving yourself of water.

This can be done through showering once a day, opting to wash the dishes by hand rather than using a dishwasher and switching the tap off when brushing your teeth.