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Guides · Tile 05

Saving water at the kitchen sink

Put the plug in rather than letting the tap run, scrape plates instead of rinsing them, and fix drips promptly: those are the Australian Government’s YourHome suggestions for the sink. The rest of this page is the detail behind them, with the figures the government guides give.

Two numbers to keep in mind

16 L+A running tap without a flow controller can use more than 16 litres of water a minute.
12,000 L+A tap leaking at one drip a second wastes more than 12,000 litres of water a year.

Both come from YourHome, the Australian Government’s guide to designing, building and renovating homes, which the WELS scheme points readers to for water saving at home. Nothing in them needs new equipment: the first is a reason to turn the tap off, the second a reason to fix it.

Habits at the sink

Each of these is from YourHome’s section on reducing water use.

  1. Plug, not streamIf you wash dishes by hand, put the plug in the sink instead of leaving the tap running.
  2. Scrape, don’t rinseScrape food off dishes into the compost or bin instead of rinsing it away before washing.
  3. Fix drips promptlyDripping taps and leaks can rapidly use a lot of water.
  4. Go easy on the handleDo not over-tighten taps, which can wear out the washer and lead to leaks.
  5. Cold means all the wayIf you do not need hot water, move the mixer all the way to cold. In the centre position a mixer blends hot and cold, which can increase hot water use.
  6. Full loadsFully load the dishwasher before running it, and use the economy cycle if it has one.
  7. Skip the in-sink disposal unitThese units use water when operating and mix wastewater with food scraps; YourHome calls well-managed home composting the most favoured option for food waste.

The hand-wash or dishwasher question

YourHome’s answer depends on the machine. Some of the most efficient dishwashers can use less than 1 litre per place setting, which it says is less water than many people use washing dishes by hand, and it suggests considering a WELS 5-star machine when upgrading. The WELS scheme lists 6 stars as the highest available rating among registered dishwashers. Either way, the plug and the scraper above apply.

The tap itself

For new taps, YourHome suggests checking the WELS rating and choosing 3 or 4 stars for the kitchen sink. For existing ones, it suggests installing a flow regulator on kitchen and bathroom sink taps. Who may fit one depends on your state’s plumbing rules, covered in who can connect a kitchen sink.

The WELS scheme explains what a flow controller (also called a flow restrictor or flow regulator) does: it keeps the flow rate consistent by adjusting to the water pressure that reaches it, and it is a fundamental part of the tap’s design. Compared with old products that had none, which typically ran at more than 20 litres a minute, the current range of taps in Australia can bring it down to as little as 2 to 4 litres a minute.

One instruction from that page is worth repeating: “Don’t tamper with the product”, for instance by removing the flow controller. Doing so can void the warranty, change how the product performs and waste water and energy. Less water through the tap also means less water to heat. The star bands themselves are set out in what the stars on a kitchen tap mean.

The overnight leak check

Leaks are not always noticeable. YourHome suggests a simple test that needs nothing but a phone:

  1. Before you go to bed, take a photo of your water meter.
  2. Compare it with the reading first thing in the morning.

YourHome also suggests comparing your water bill each quarter to spot rapid changes in use. Most water utilities have their own advice on saving water, and the WELS scheme notes that your water bill carries your utility’s website address.

One overlap with the lead-free tapware guide: when enHealth suggests running the cold tap for 2 minutes after a long absence, it adds that the water can be collected and used for washing up. A bowl in the sink catches it.

A date for the calendar

Water Night is held each October, led by the Water Conservancy, to draw attention to how Australians use water. As at October 2026, the WELS scheme lists this year’s Water Night as Thursday 22 October 2026, under the heading “Turn off the taps for Water Night!”. The kitchen sink is an obvious place to start.

Sources for this page