With recent years of seeing severe droughts and dam levels dropping, the Townsville City Council has released the Ross River Dam Emergency Plan and water restrictions to conserve Townsville water levels. While restrictions are easing, the Ross River Dam is currently still only at 66 per cent full capacity and there are still many ways the average household can conserve water for the community and save money on their water bill.
The average water bill in Queensland is $300 per quarter. Whether your bill is above or below this average, we have put together some information to help you understand your bill but also reduce it.
How to break down your water bill
Your average water bill is taken from water readings every quarter.
The bill covers:
Fixed charges are billed in advance for each quarter and can help to pay for all the maintenance and distribution costs of supplying you water from the Dam. These are fixed costs that won't change per quarter. There is a fixed water charge and a fixed sewerage access charge.
This is the part of the bill that varies depending on your household water usage. Water consumption is scaled so the more water you use, the more you pay. These charges are what encourages households to conserve water and not wastewater. The meter-reading will vary depending on the number of days your quarterly bill is charged per kilolitre (kL). The more water you save, the less your bill will be.
There are many ways you can reduce your water bill and conserve more water than you are currently doing. Here are some tips.
The average Australian has a shower for seven minutes which uses approximately 55 litres of water. To reduce your shower time, try using a timer and make your time in the shower count. Another handy tip is placing a bucket to catch some water you can use on plants after the shower.
A plumber can easily install a showerhead with a low flow head which saves you up to fifty per cent water in showering. It will also help reduce hot water consumption saving you on your energy bills.
If you're only doing half loads in the dishwasher or washing machine, it also means you’re running at half capacity and doing more loads than you need. Save water and time by ensuring your machines are doing a full load each time.
A plumber can easily install a dual flush to your toilet units which can help save lots of water. A full flush uses about 11 litres of water compared to a half flush only using 3 - 4.5 litres with a dual flush unit.
If you suspect you have leaks in your home, hire a plumbing professional to get them fixed immediately. Leaks can send your water bill through the roof and even cause damage to your house. If your water bill has recently skyrocketed, you may have a hidden leak, and you'll need to get out a plumber immediately.
The Townsville City Council has developed a system to provide people with a guide on when to water gardens. The system of three days a week on an odds/evens system from dusk to dawn (5 pm – 8 am) will provide people with greater flexibility to water their gardens and lawns when it suits them. Another idea is to mulch the gardens with fresh layers of mulch which helps retain water in your gardens more effectively.
Plumber to Your Door can help you install water-saving devices and fix any leaks you might be experiencing causing your water bills to soar.
Contact us today to do a complete maintenance check on your property and help save you money on your bills!
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