Conserving water means using less water in your day-to-day life. Conserving water helps to:
- Use less water from our local rivers and lakes
- Reduce water and wastewater treatment costs
- Reduce energy used to treat, pump and heat water
- Save you money on your utility bill
You can reduce your water use by:
- Adjusting your daily habits
- Using water efficient fixtures and appliances
Tips to use less water at home
Bathroom |
- Repair leaking faucets and toilets. A small drip can add up to 27,000 litres per year if unattended.
- Shower instead of bathing. This can save 70 litres per session.
- Install a flow restrictor on your shower and sink head.
- Turn off your tap when brushing your teeth or shaving. This can save more than 6,900 litres of water per year.
- Install a low-flow toilet that uses 70% less water per flush.
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Laundry |
- Only run the washing machine if you have a full load of clothes.
- Consider purchasing a high efficiency washing machine that will use about 30% less water and 40% less electricity.
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Kitchen |
- Clean fruits and vegetables in bowl of water instead of running water. You can re-use the water to water indoor plants.
- Chill water in the fridge instead of running the tap.
- Do not use garburators.
- Scrape your dishes instead of rinsing them before you put them in the dishwasher.
- Consider purchasing a water efficient dishwasher that will use about 30% less water.
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Outdoor |
- Sweep your driveway instead of spraying it with a hose.
- Don't over-water your lawn. Make sure your sprinkler is watering just the lawn, and not the driveway or sidewalk.
- Water early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent water loss from evaporation.
- Collect rainwater to water your outdoor plants.
- Plant drought-resistant trees and shrubs
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Other |
- Insulate your hot water pipes and your electric water heater.
- When purchasing a water softener, consider a model that has a “hardness sensor” that will automatically trigger a regeneration.
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Water efficient fixtures
Replacing older, less efficient fixtures can help reduce your household's water use and save you money on your water and sewer bill.
There are a variety of water efficient fixtures and appliances on the market. View the comparison below to see how much water you could save per year.
Standard versus water-efficient fixtures
| Older/standard model | Water-efficient model | Savings per year |
|---|
Shower | eight litres per minute | 6 litres per minute | 9,052 litres or 22% |
Washer | 155 litres per load | 102 litres per load | 20,732 litres or 34% |
Dishwasher | 40 per load | 26 litres per load | 4,380 litres or 33% |
Toilet | 20 litres per flush | 6 litres per flush | 67,747 litres or 70% |
Faucet/Aerator | 19 litres per minute | 6 litres per minute | 103,551 litres or 70% |
