Electricity and Water Conservation

Water Conservation Tips

• General Tips

  • Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks. Checking for leaks can save 1,400 litres of water per month. Click here for more information if you suspect a leak in your home.
  • Fix any leaky taps! A single faucet with a constant drip can waste up to 182 litres of water per week.
  • Install a flow restrictor or aerator save up to 20 litres per day
  • Locate the master water shut-off valve in your home. It is essential to know where this valve is to turn it off in the event of a catastrophe or a burst water pipe. If you can’t locate it you could experience flooding and property damage.
• Kitchen Tips

  • When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with water, the other with rinse water.
  • If your dishwasher is more than 10-15 years old, dishwashing by hand and rinsing can save 32-60 litres per load.
  • When you are cleaning your fruits and vegetables, plug the sink with clean water instead of rinsing under running water. Save the rinse water for watering your plants.
  • Steam vegetables on the stove or in the microwave to reduce the amount of cooking water required.
  • If you have a fish tank in your home, use the dirty water on your houseplants. It’s rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which gives you a nice fertilizer while you use the same water twice.
  • Instead of letting the water run in the sink when you want a cool drink, keep a jug or pitcher cooling in the refrigerator.
  • There is really no need to fully wash dishes before loading in the dishwasher. Just scrape off food scraps and rinse. Let the machine do the rest.
  • Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
  • Insulate hot water pipes so you don’t have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet.
  • Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary.
• Bathroom Tips

  • The average faucet flows at a rate of 9 litres per minute. You can save up to 18 litres of water every morning by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth.
  • Fill the bath only half-full to save 80 litres per bath.
  • Use low-flow showerheads to reduce the flow by 40 to 60% and save up to eight litres of water per minute.
  • Install single flush toilets that use 4.8 litres per flush or less and/or dual flush toilets with a maximum of 6 litres per flush.
  • Rinse your razor in the sink! Before shaving, partially fill the sink with warm water. This will rinse the blade just as well and use less water.
  • Test your toilet by putting 10 drops of food colouring in the tank. Don’t flush for 15 minutes. If the coloured water shows up in the bowl, the tank is leaking.
  • Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket. Water will be saved by throwing items like tissues, gum wrappers, cigarette butts, spiders, diapers, and other bits of trash into a wastebasket instead of a toilet.
• Laundry Room Tips

  • Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 4,500 litres a month.
  • High-efficiency front loading washers can drastically reduce water use.
  • If your washing machine has an adjustable water-level indicator, set the dial to use the proper water level or load size.
  • If your washing machine has a suds-saver feature, make sure to use it. This feature reuses the clean rinse water for washing the next load.
  • When buying a new clothes washer, look for an ENERGY STAR qualified front-load model to reduce water use by 45% and energy use by 65%
• Outdoor Tips

  • Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.
  • Washing your car at a car wash that recycles water instead of your driveway will conserve water and prevent harmful run-off pollution.
  • Use water toys and outdoor “kiddy” pools to cool off instead of the sprinkler. A sprinkler uses 1,300 litres per hour, so the savings can be astounding.
  • Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks. A hose uses 23 litres of water per minute.
  • Replace broken or missing sprinkler heads. A missing sprinkler head can add up to many litres of wasted water.
  • Watering on windy days will carry water away from its intended area; you’re literally throwing your water and money away.
  • Automatic sprinklers should be used when the water demand is at its lowest – between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and only on your designated day if applicable.
  • Try planting drought resistant trees and plants. They require little or no watering during hot, dry periods.
  • Water only when the grass or plants show signs of needing it.
  • Most lawns only require one to one and a half inches of water a week. Deep, infrequent watering promotes deep, strong drought tolerant root systems during the growing season.
  • Adjust your lawn mower to two or three inches in height. Taller blades of grass have deeper roots and shade the ground to retain moister longer.