More and more people across Queensland are switching on to the waterwise message with daily household water consumption continuing to drop.

Southeast Queenslanders especially are taking the waterwise message seriously with daily water use consumption figures recently hitting an average of 137 litres per person per day.

Households are also taking advantage of the State Government’s rebate scheme and installing water saving devices such as rainwater tanks, pool covers and shower roses.

It’s fantastic that the community has bettered the target of 140 litres per person per day two weeks in a row.

From your kitchen to your backyard, there are many ways people can be waterwise around the home. And being waterwise saves you money, helps save the environment and conserves valuable resources.

The REIQ is working in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote sustainable housing practices.

The EPA’s How to be waterwise in your home and garden recommends ways of being waterwise in the kitchen:

• When hand washing dishes, don’t rinse them under running water. If you have two sinks, fill the second one with rinsing water. If you only have one sink, stack your washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a bowl of water.

• Choose a dishwasher with a high water efficiency rating – the more stars, the more efficient the appliance.

• Don’t run the dishwasher until you have a full load.

• Don’t let the tap run when cleaning vegetables – just rinse them in a plugged sink or a bowl of clean water.

• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running the tap until it is cool is wasteful.

• Tap aerator devices are inexpensive and can reduce water flow by 50%.

• Compost food scraps and use garbage disposal units sparingly as consume about 30 litres of water a day.