Yarra Valley Water, YVW, is urging people to save water by taking shorter showers and cutting out water-wasting behaviours.

A survey conduced by Melbourne metropolitan water corporations found that 33.3 per cent of Generation Z residents take 10-15-minute showers, compared to other generations who shower for around five minutes.

Showers make up an average of 31 per cent of a typical household’s water use, and people under the age of 35 typically take more lengthy showers.

YVW managing director Pat McCafferty said being mindful of water use could lead to better habits that could protect resources and save money.

“Young adults are spending longer in the shower and we know the average household uses over 30 per cent of its water in the bathroom,” he said.

“With a drying climate and growing population, we need to develop good water use habits and protect water supplies for the future.

“By cutting back to four minutes, the average household can save 24 litres of water per shower and $200 a year on water and energy bills.”

As well as taking longer showers in general, the survey found that Generation Z residents were more likely to underestimate their water usage and less likely to place high importance on saving water.

More than 80 per cent of respondents were aware they could do more to save water, and most were unaware of how much water they used per day.

The Shower Shorter campaign uses characters such as the ‘daydreamer’ and ‘performer’ to relate to all the things people often do in the shower that can be better done elsewhere, including singing, meditating and solving the world’s problems.

“Small changes like this are easy to make and collectively have a big impact,” Mr McCafferty said.

YVW customers can see and hear the campaign until June 25 on digital channels, social media, YouTube, outdoor signage, and Spotify, as well as podcasts in English, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Punjabi and Arabic.

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