The cost of living in Australia is getting higher and the rising price of water is not helping. When compared to the other cities, Melbourne has one of the highest prices per kilolitre at $2.5877 to $3.7494 as of January 2016.

On top of this, urban populations are only getting bigger and the effects of climate change are urging governments to efficiently manage water distribution. The underlying expenses of this operation will only continue to drive water prices higher. Despite this, the country is one of the biggest users of water. The disparity means it now becomes every Australian homeowner’s need to cut down costs wherever they can.

We can all do our part to fight these price increases. With this, here are 10 good ways to save water at home:

1    Refrigerate bottles of tap water during summer. This avoids the need to unnecessarily run the tap during summer just to get the water cold enough to drink.

2    Put only full loads in washing machines and dishwashers or adjust the settings to maximize water usage for smaller loads.

3    Fix leaks in taps. Even the smallest leak wasting one drop per second lets you waste around one thousand litres every month! To take care of the hard to spot ones that need the right equipment, consult a professional like Austest Leak Detection.

4    Many of us are guilty of blasting away debris in the garage or driveway using a hose. Though a lot less fun, we can use a wide push broom to do the same thing while saving a lot of water.

5    Gather rainwater runoff from your roof to use for your garden. Water tanks are usually used for this purpose.

6    Turn off the tap whenever you can. When washing your face, brushing your teeth, or shaving, you can save a lot of water by simply not letting the tap run as much as possible.

7    If you have a swimming pool, cover it so it does not get hot enough for the water to evaporate. This also saves you the trouble of cleaning out the leaves.

8    Use a dual flush toilet. Compared to older models, dual flush toilets let you save up to 35 thousand litres yearly. If maintaining an old model, try adding stones to limit the water your cistern uses every time you flush.

9    Add air to the faucet stream using an aerator. This lets you maintain the same pressure while reducing the water flow by more than half (2.75 down to 1 gallon per minute).

10    Position your lawn sprinklers to make sure it waters only the lawn. If it is an automatic model, set it to turn off whenever it rains.

Practicing these religiously may just help you beat the ever-increasing prices of water. When in doubt, consider investments in water-saving as a long term move; this involves newer toilet models, professional leak detection, and sprinkler systems among others. This way, you can rest assured you are doing your best to keep the water bill low.