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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Water rises as vapour from the oceans, rivers and streams and from wet ground and forms clouds, condenses and falls again as rain, snow, hail, mist or dew. So the cycle continues.

This endless circulation of water as a liquid, solid (ice)  and gas (vapour) is known as the hydrologic cycle.

Water remains constant on our planet. Little has been addded or lost from the original supply of water in the hundreds of millions of years since the first clouds formed and the first rains fell.

At any moment, most of the earth's water resources exist as water vapour in the atmosphere.

Some of the water in the soil is taken up by plant roots and most of this is evaporated from the leaves - a process called transpiration.

Excess water sinks into the earth and passes beyond the reach of plant roots, entering the cycle again in the ocean, as a spring or when it is tapped by a well or bore.

Ten Green Tips for Saving Water in the Home

1. Keep a container of drinking water in the fridge so that you don’t run water down the plughole waiting for the water to cool.

2. Thaw frozen foods in the fridge or microwave rather than placing them under running water.

3. Save water by washing vegetables and rinsing dishes in a plugged sink or basin – not under a running tap.

4. Microwave, steam or use a pressure cooker to cook vegetables, to retain more flavour and use less water than traditional boiling.

5. Wait for a full load of washing before reaching for the detergent as every load less saves 17 buckets of water.

6. Put a plug in the sink when shaving rather than rinsing your razor under running water.

7. Take shorter showers. Every minute less in the shower saves one bucket of water.

8. Consider installing a AAA rated water saving showerhead and save on water and energy costs.

9. Use the half flush and save up to four buckets of water per day, remember to always close the lid of the toilet to avoid spraying !!!! on the walls (yuk!)

10. Check for leaks in your toilet by adding food dye to the cistern. If colour appears in the bowl within half an hour it is time to do some DIY or call a qualified plumber.