I want to save water to save money but don’t know what else to do. Any suggestions?
Saving water at home may take some adjustments in your behaviour. Since you are already conscious of your water use, you may already turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
Here are some other tips that may help us all make wise water choices:
1. Five-minute showers. There are five-minute timers you can buy for this purpose;
2. When buying appliances like dishwashers and washing machines or toilets, purchase water-saving, WaterSense® or other Ultra High Efficient-approved products.
3. Install a rainbarrel to reduce municipal water usage for garden and lawn by using the rain water; reduce the extra wastewater charge that is applied to our water usage and; eliminate the opportunity for rain water from downspouts or sump pumps to find its way into the sanitary sewer system, reducing the need for by-passes and extending the life of the municipal wastewater system; prevent flooding and excess rainwater from flushing contaminants and sediment into our lakes and waterways via the stormwater sewer system; rain gardens also use rain water to delay excess rain from entering the stormwater system to prevent flooding and erosion at lakes and rivers
4. Use a fully loaded dishwasher, if you have one (yes, they often use less water than handwashing). If washing by hand, make sure you soak and wash dishes first and then rinse them all at the end to avoid unnecessary running of the water;
5. When rinsing dirt off fruits and vegetables, use a bowl and reuse that water for your own household plants and gardens;
6. If you like drinking cold water, keep a jug of water in the fridge, that way you won't have to run the tap until the water is cold next time you want a refreshing glass of water. Bonus: this will also help to reduce any chlorine taste you may experience occasionally;
7. Collect the unused water that you run while warming the tap in the kitchen or bathroom. That is perfectly good water for other household needs like cooking, cleaning and watering plants.
We can all try a household water audit. Several tracking sheets can be found online.
On average, each Canadian uses on average 329 liters of water a day, making us one of the largest per capita users of fresh water in the world. With wise water use, you can reduce your monthly water consumption significantly, by 20 per cent, 30 per cent or in some cases even more.
Try this calculator to help you see how much water you are using, and how you might use less.
Find other water tips and ideas on EarthCare Sudbury’s water site.
Thanks to our EarthCare Sudbury Partners: Conservation Sudbury, Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury and the City of Greater Sudbury for their assistance in responding to this question.
EarthCare Sudbury is a network of more than 150 local businesses, organizations, and agencies that are committed to helping Greater Sudbury become greener, cleaner, healthier and more sustainable. Find out more about EarthCare Sudbury, our partners and how to get involved by visiting our website (http://www.greatersudbury.ca/living/environmental-initiatives/earthcare-sudbury/) or call 311.
Do you have a question about an environmental issue? Ask an EarthCare Expert! Submit your questions online at GreaterSudbury.ca/EarthCare then watch for this column published in the Northern Life for an “expert” response.
