this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2025
20 points (91.7% liked)

Australia

4502 readers
212 users here now

A place to discuss Australia and important Australian issues.

Before you post:

If you're posting anything related to:

If you're posting Australian News (not opinion or discussion pieces) post it to Australian News

Rules

This community is run under the rules of aussie.zone. In addition to those rules:

Banner Photo

Congratulations to @Tau@aussie.zone who had the most upvoted submission to our banner photo competition

Recommended and Related Communities

Be sure to check out and subscribe to our related communities on aussie.zone:

Plus other communities for sport and major cities.

https://aussie.zone/communities

Moderation

Since Kbin doesn't show Lemmy Moderators, I'll list them here. Also note that Kbin does not distinguish moderator comments.

Additionally, we have our instance admins: @lodion@aussie.zone and @Nath@aussie.zone

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Our dams are barely 50% full, the heat has begun, how long is an acceptable shower? How often do you bathe?

top 23 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] vipaal@aussie.zone 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Sincere question. In case not obvious

What is stopping new constructions from incorporating sullege reuse? Looks like an easy win. Not enough lobbying like alternative energy??

[–] wildwhitehorses@aussie.zone 1 points 9 hours ago

People are funny about reclaimed water. I guess it comes down to not understanding the science?

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My water comes from a river. Water comes from that river, gets poured on grape vines, which get harvested and sent to an American owned winery that sends the product back to the USA where they keep all the profits. There are wineries that do the same shit to China.

It takes 8 litres of water to grow a single almond.

I haven't watered my garden for years to help conserve water for that bullshit because as much as it sucks there is fuck all else bringing income into the local economy. No way am I reducing my shower time. If they run out of water they can bulldoze a few almond trees.

[–] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 4 points 1 day ago

3-5 minutes. Depending on if I'm shampooing my hair.

[–] TimePencil@infosec.exchange 10 points 2 days ago (3 children)

@wildwhitehorses

Yeah, right. Any water shortages are likely due to personal hygiene requirements of people, and nothing to do with new b.s. AI data processing centres using gigalitres to cool equipment and maintain humidity levels.

Got it.

[–] wildwhitehorses@aussie.zone 1 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Are you new to Australia? Water restrictions have been around, off and on for at least 40 years in my experience.

[–] TimePencil@infosec.exchange 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

@wildwhitehorses
No, I'm not "new to Australia".

The point I was making is that the "duration of our showers" is comparatively insignificant compared to commercial water use and wastage.

Data centres, for AI processing, needlessly waste water resources.

Growing rice and cotton on the world's driest continent seems a bit stupid.

Screwing the geology of the Great Artesian Basin to extract gas seems short-sighted.

There are FAR more pressing concerns than how much water we individuals use while showering. (Sure, there are some small towns or shires where this is a concern.)

[–] wildwhitehorses@aussie.zone 1 points 9 hours ago

Oh I agree with what you're saying and upvoted your comment, But what I am saying is that we have had long standing potable water supply issues that have been around long before PCs where even a thing.

[–] Seagoon_@aussie.zone 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

yup, I'm going to care as soon as the government chases up private businesses that have leaky pipes

[–] observes_depths@aussie.zone 1 points 1 day ago

The number of houses I've been to with taps and toilets that just leak water 24/7. I want to save water and not be part of the problem, but it's hard when everyone else gives 0 Fs.

[–] notgold@aussie.zone 3 points 2 days ago

Agreed they all DC's are and will be a problem but agriculture has everything beat with water usage. Still doesn't hurt to conserve drinking water by shorter showering. I'm not going to do it but I can't fault people that do.

ABS usage study from decade ago. Old but shows my point.

[–] mostofthepants@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

I have long showers, 15 minutes or more, best part of my day. However, households use next to nothing compared to industrial usage, not even 2%. Stats

[–] Ilandar@lemmy.today 6 points 2 days ago

Much longer than I should, although they are shorter in summer. Ignoring those short, extra showers after exercise or before going out, usually I just shower once in the morning. When I was younger I got into the habit of short showers due to the drought and water restrictions, but it has crept back up in adult life.

[–] marcwithac@aussie.zone 5 points 2 days ago

Not all dams

TBF we don't pull from dams unless river levels drop

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago
[–] cdzero@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] coaxil@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago

We are? Better then I expected, that's good!

[–] shads@lemy.lol 3 points 2 days ago

Down here in Tassie we seem pretty well stocked for water as well. My family will likely be reining in our showers once it stops raining and the tanks are no longer covering our needs though. Right now the more we use the less strain it puts on our storm water drains. We might lean on the landlord to upgrade to a solar hot water system at some stage so our showers are closer to genuinely free.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think the water corp in WA still say they want everybody over here having 4 minute showers. So.. yeah..

[–] wildwhitehorses@aussie.zone 2 points 2 days ago

All these east coasters bragging about their dam levels. Yes 4 minutes for a normal shower but with hair washing, eh.

[–] psud@aussie.zone 2 points 2 days ago

Over 97% full in the Canberra region. But not more than 10 mins, usually less

[–] No1@aussie.zone 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Bathing may or may not be your highest water use. Gardens/lawns can be very water intensive, pools/dams/tanks due to evaporation, or even hand washing etc

But, as you specifically mentioned bathing:

I do cold showers for maybe 6 months a year centred on summer.

It sure makes you minimise shower time and operate at maximum efficiency at either end of that period. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!

To further minimise water use, use cold water during winter too.

Other things to consider:

  • if showering, make sure you have the low flow shower heads
  • at least halve your water use by sharing your bathing time/water with other(s) ;)
  • depending on the above, a bath may use less water than showering
[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 2 points 12 hours ago

I wish I had a bathtub.

My showers are too long for reasons of pain management, but if I had a bath I could draw a limited amount of very hot water and soak.