Water - especially drinking water - is a valuable resource. Careful and economical consumption is therefore essential and a task for us all. A significant proportion of drinking water is heated before it is used for activities such as showering, bathing or cleaning. This not only increases water consumption, but also energy consumption.

As a private individual, however, you can significantly reduce your consumption with simple measures - and thus both protect the environment and reduce your expenses. Discover our tips for effectively reducing your water consumption here.

Why saving water is so important

Only around 2.5 % of the world's water is freshwater, and only around 0.3 % of this is directly available to us. Climate change-related dry periods and hot spells with little precipitation lower groundwater levels. This leads to poorer soil conditions and the death of plants. At the same time, the demand for drinking water increases. In many countries, many people have no access to clean water, as it is often contaminated and can only be made drinkable through costly purification. The average per capita consumption in Austria and Germany is around 130 liters per day - only a small proportion of which is actually drunk. Saving water is therefore urgently needed.

With our recommendations, we want to help raise awareness of the need to use this scarce resource sparingly - for the good of the environment.

Where can water be saved?

There are many areas where water can be saved: at home, on the road or on vacation. Improvements can be made with little effort, especially in the bathroom, but also in the kitchen and garden. Even small changes can have a big impact.

As the bathroom accounts for the largest proportion of domestic water consumption, it is worth starting there. Gradually integrate individual tips into your everyday life - many of them require hardly any change.

How can you reduce water consumption?

Using less drinking water doesn't have to be complicated or restrictive. Shorter or less frequent showers are one option, but not the only one. Technical aids such as water-saving attachments for showers and washbasins reduce consumption without you noticing it in everyday life - and without any loss of comfort.

Even small actions such as repairing leaking taps or using the smaller flush button on the toilet save a lot. Our consumer behavior also influences our water consumption: foods such as meat, cocoa, coffee and avocados require a lot of water during production. If you rethink your consumption, you can make additional savings.

1. 1. Showering instead of bathing
      A short shower uses up to three times less water than a full bath. While a standard bathtub holds around 180 liters, five minutes in the shower with a 12-liter shower head only uses around 60 liters.

    

   2. Installing innovative shower inserts
      In addition, with an innovative shower insert such as the Ecowaterjet by rabmer, you can reduce water consumption in the shower by up to 50% (i.e. to 6 - 7 liters per minute). The Ecowaterjet is based on the Venturi principle, which ensures a constant shower pressure. This means that you can still enjoy the full shower experience, in contrast to conventional reducers or economy shower heads. Additional tip: Please do not replace the existing shower head with an economy shower head - this would result in mountains of waste from shower heads that are actually functional.

    

   3. Installing flow restrictors in the bathroom and kitchen
      Install flow restrictors on the taps. These reduce the amount of water used when washing your hands or at the kitchen sink by up to 60 %. The only difference is that it takes a little longer to fill larger containers.

    

   4. Use water consciously
      Avoid running water unnecessarily - e.g. while soaping up, brushing your teeth or shaving. This simple habit saves many liters over the year.

    

   5. Repair dripping taps quickly
      Even if it seems inconspicuous, a dripping tap can waste up to 45 liters of drinking water every day. This problem can often be fixed in just a few simple steps - with great savings.

    

   6. Targeted use of the toilet flush
      If your toilet has an economy button, use it to use up to 50 % less water. In addition, a stop function helps to end the flushing process early and thus save even more liters.

    

   7. Cleaning fruit and vegetables in a bowl
      Instead of washing fruit and vegetables under running water, it is sufficient to fill a bowl with a little water. This can then be reused, e.g. for watering flowers. If possible, buy seasonal and regional foods - these generally require less water during production as they are adapted to the local climate conditions.

    

   8. Always fully load machines
      Only run washing machines and dishwashers when they are fully loaded. This saves water, energy and time. When loading the dishwasher, make sure you make optimum use of space: place heavily soiled items at the bottom and lightly soiled dishes at the top.

    

   9. Opt for economical appliances
      When buying new household appliances, it is worth looking at the water consumption. Hand washing usually requires more water than an efficient dishwasher. There are also big differences between washing machines. In addition to energy consumption, you should therefore always check the water specifications.

    

   10. Mow the lawn less often
       If grass is frequently cut short, it dries out more quickly and requires more water. This leads to a greater need for watering, especially in summer. If you are still mowing the lawn, follow the next tip.

    

   11. Using rainwater for the garden
       A sustainable and inexpensive way to save water is to collect rainwater in a rain barrel, which you can buy cheaply at DIY stores. Make sure you only leave the barrel open when it rains to prevent evaporation and to prevent animals from falling into it.

    

   Additional tip: Use environmentally friendly care and cleaning products to avoid pollutants in the water. Many conventional products contain ingredients such as microplastics or plasticizers that pollute drinking water