BEFORE the Lower Hunter's first water restrictions in 25 years begin on Monday, Hunter Water has a challenge to help residents get a head start.
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The utility is asking households to 'Save Your 4' and use four buckets of water less each day.
The region's dams are at their lowest levels in more than two decades, Hunter Water said, and the amount of water used in homes has a significant impact on those levels.
"Saving four buckets of water is all it takes to make a difference," Hunter Water's executive drought lead Darren Cleary said.
"While Level 1 water restrictions will focus on reducing outdoor water use from next Monday, there are plenty of simple and easy things we can do every day that will save our precious resource.
"On average, Hunter Water customers use approximately 190 litres of water per person each day, which is about 10 to 20 per cent more when compared to other areas like the Central Coast, Melbourne and south east Queensland."
Tips to achieve the goal of using less each day include reducing showers to four minutes.
"We know that the shower is the largest discretionary water user in the home, making up more than a third of daily water usage," Mr Cleary said. "Every minute reduced in the shower is a bucket of water saved, so we recommend using a shower timer or showering for the length of your favourite song.
"Another easy way to save water is to fix dripping taps and leaking toilets. A few drips from a leaking tap may not seem like much, but when multiplied over the course of a few days, months or a year, it's easy to see how precious those few drops are.
"We estimate that dripping taps and running toilets contribute to more than two million litres of water being lost each year across the region, which is equivalent to the water supply of almost 144 households for a month.
"We're calling on everyone in our community to help us conserve our precious resource in any way they can. Changing a little at home, can save a lot of water."
For more tips visit hunterwater.com.au/savewater
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