How to Save Water and Money
Canadians are the second highest per capita users of water in the world, second only to the United States worldwide.
The average Canadian uses roughly 335 litres of water a day. That's about 25 per cent more than the average Australian, two and a half times more than the average German citizen and to add to the problem, about half of this highly treated water is simply wasted, adding to the infrastructure burden and potentially depleting necessary reserves. From leaky faucets and water-guzzling toilets to excessive lawn watering, the amount of unnecessarily wasted water each year is enough to fill more than nine million bathtubs.
However, there are some practical steps that we all can take to conserve this vital resource and ensure a steady supply of clean, fresh drinking water for generations to come.
We offer the following tips to help you cut down on the amount of water your family uses and improve your home's water efficiency:
- Fix leaky faucets immediately. A leak of one drip per second will waste 10,000 litres of water a year. You can repair most leaks as easily as changing a worn-out washer.
- Test for hidden leaks by checking your water meter in the late evening and again in the early morning. If the meter indicates any water use during the night that can't be accounted for, track down the source of the leak and repair it.
- Replace older low-efficiency toilets with Ultra-Low Flush or High-Efficiency models. Toilets are the single worst water wasters in most homes. If you have an older 13- or 20-litre toilet, your family could literally be flushing more than 60,000 litres of wasted water down the drain each year!
- Replace your existing appliances with more water-efficient models. High efficiency clothes washers save water, energy and reduce clothes dryer energy consumption as well by wringing more water out of clothes than conventional washers.
- Install low-flow faucet aerators and a low-flow or water-efficient showerhead, and try taking short showers instead of a bath. This can also help reduce your gas or electric bill, since there will be less demand on your hot water heater.
- Avoid running water unnecessarily when brushing your teeth, shaving or washing.
- Wash only full loads of laundry and fully load your dishwasher before using it.
- Use rainwater from tubs, sinks and washing machines to water your lawn or for toilet flush.
