Water rarely asks for our attention. Turn a tap, start a load of washing, fill a glass, and it is there.
National Water Week, running from 19 to 25 October 2026, gives us a reason to notice it. Hosted by the Australian Water Association, the week encourages individuals, communities, schools, and organisations to recognise the importance of water and build greater water awareness.
At home, that awareness can start with something practical: looking at where water goes during an ordinary day.
You do not need to measure every drop. A few considered choices can change how much water passes through the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and garden without being used well.
Start With the Water That Goes Straight Down the Drain
Some water use is necessary. Some happen simply because the tap is still running.
The kitchen is a good place to notice the difference. Water Corporation in Western Australia estimates that a running tap can use up to 50 litres in five minutes. When washing fruit and vegetables, it recommends using a plugged sink or bowl rather than leaving the tap running.
The same thinking applies elsewhere. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. Scrape plates before loading the dishwasher instead of routinely rinsing them under running water. If you are waiting for water to warm up, collect the initial cold water for another suitable household use rather than sending it directly down the drain.
These are not dramatic changes. They simply give water a purpose before you use it.
Give Suitable Leftover Water Somewhere Else to Go
Not every drop needs to have only one job.
Water used to rinse fruit and vegetables can be collected in a bowl and, where appropriate, used in the garden rather than poured away. Water Corporation specifically recommends this as a simple waterwise practice.
Waiting for the shower or kitchen tap to reach the temperature you need can create another opportunity. A container nearby can catch suitable clean water for plants or other household tasks.
The important part is to keep reuse sensible. Water containing cleaning products, food contamination, or other substances should not automatically be reused simply to avoid tipping it away. Match the water to an appropriate second use.
It is a small shift in thinking: before water goes down the drain, consider whether it still has a useful job to do.
Make the Kitchen More Water-Conscious
The kitchen gives you plenty of opportunities to save water at home without making food preparation more complicated.
Start with the dishwasher. Water Corporation reports that a Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) four-star dishwasher uses around 15 litres of water, compares with the 22-litre capacity of a standard kitchen sink. It also recommends waiting for a full dishwasher load and using an eco setting where available.
Cooking habits matter too. When boiling vegetables, use only the amount of water you need and keep the lid on the saucepan. Steaming can also reduce the amount of water required for cooking.
Then there is drinking water. If you normally run the tap while waiting for colder water, keeping drinking water chilled in the fridge offers a simple alternative. An Earths Water Glass Carafe or Water Filter Jug can fit naturally here, keeping better tasting tap water ready when you want a glass.
The filter is not a water-saving device. The water-conscious choice is avoiding the unnecessary running of the tap.
Take the Water You Want With You
Leaving home can change the way we think about drinking water. It is easy to remember your phone, keys, wallet, then realise later that your water bottle is still sitting in the kitchen.
Preparing one before you leave gives the water you already have at home a place in the rest of your day.
For Earths Water Ultra Water Filter Bottles, the approved idea is simple:
Filtered water, wherever you are.
Keep one somewhere visible when you are getting ready to leave, whether that is beside your bag, on the kitchen bench, or near the door. Fill it before work, errands, a walk, or a day out.
It is a small piece of preparation, but it connects the water available at home with the hours you spend away from it.
Look Beyond the Kitchen for Bigger Water-Saving Opportunities
The glass you drink is only one part of household water use.
Showers, taps, toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers are all covered by Australia’s Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme, better known as WELS. The label allows shoppers to compare the water efficiency of regulated products before buying them.
The Australian Government estimates that WELS will save 219 gigalitres of water across Australia in 2026. That works out to around 22 litres per person each day. More than 80% of Australians also recognise the WELS label and use it when choosing water-efficient products.
That makes the label worth checking when an appliance or fixture genuinely needs replacing. There is no reason to replace something unnecessarily for National Water Week. When the time does come, however, water efficiency can be part of the decision.
Earths Water filtration products serve a different purpose. They should not be confused with WELS-rated water-saving products.
Find Out Where Your Household Water Actually Goes
It is difficult to change what you never notice.
Instead of starting with a long list of water-saving tips, look at your own household use. Your water bill and meter can give you a clearer picture of how much water your home uses, while an unexpected increase may point to something worth investigating.
Leaks are a particularly important example. Water Corporation says leaks can waste 20,000 litres of water a year or more. Some are obvious, while others may be hidden in walls, pipes, or irrigation systems.
The bathroom is worth checking too. Look for dripping taps, leaking shower connections, or water continuing to escape after fixtures have been turned off. If you have an Earths Water Premium Shower Filter, checking the connections during installation and periodically afterwards can help you spot leaks around the fittings. After installation, all connection points should be checked for leaks and tightened further if needed.
For the correct setup, see How to Install the Earths Water Premium Shower Filter Correctly.
Checking for leaks, watching for unexplained changes in consumption, and comparing your use over time gives you information that general advice cannot.
Your household may use more water outdoors. Another may find its biggest opportunities in showers, laundry, or the kitchen. Knowing where yours goes helps you focus on changes that are actually relevant.
National Water Week Is a Reason to Notice
Water moves quietly through a home. That may be exactly why it is so easy to stop noticing how much we ask of it.
National Water Week brings that familiar resource back into view.
Not every response needs to be large. Sometimes it is turning off a tap that does not need to be running. Sometimes it is catching water before it disappears down the drain, checking a WELS label when an appliance needs replacing, or noticing a leak earlier.
And sometimes it is simply valuing the water you pour for yourself.
Keep it considered. Use what you need. Pay attention to what you do not.
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