Toilets Showers and Bathtubs Bathroom Sinks Kitchen Sinks Dishwashers

Washing Machines Rain Barrels Outdoor Water Use Lawn Watering Naturescaping

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Toilets

• Avoid using your toilet as a garbage can! This wastes a lot of water, and causes an unnecessary load on the sewage treatment plant or septic tank.
• Replace your water-guzzling toilet with an efficient 6-litre or 3-litre/6-litre dual-flush toilet. You can reduce household water consumption by 20-30 per cent, and can reduce your water bill by up to an average of 20 per cent. Call the Region at 519-575-4021 or click here for more information about the Toilet Replacement Program.
• Check your toilet tank water level twice a year.
• Some toilet leaks are silent! Put a toilet tank leak detector tablet or food colouring in your tank. Wait 15 minutes. If there is any colour in the bowl, then you have a leak and your toilet needs to be repaired.
• For toilets larger than 6 litres (1.3 gallons), place a shampoo bottle filled with water into the tank. This reduces the volume of water in the tank, but still provides enough for flushing. Never place a brick in your toilet tank, as it will eventually crumble and damage the plumbing.

• Take a five minute shower instead of a 10 minute one. Currently, the average shower in the region is about eight minutes. With an ordinary shower head, this can save up to 40 litres (8.8 gallons) per shower. Not sure if your shower head is water-efficient? Contact the Region at 519-575-4423 to request your shower bag test kit.
• Install a cut-off valve, or turn the water off while you soap up, and turn it on again to rinse.
• Take a shower instead of a bath – showers with low-flow shower heads often use less water than taking a bath. To compare, put the plug in while you shower, to see how much the tub fills up.
• If a shower is not available, try reducing the amount of water you use in the bathtub by 5 cm (2 inches).
• Plug the drain before you run bath water. Add hot water later.
• Install water-efficient shower heads, and flow restrictors. A shower head should have a flow rate less than 11 litres (2.5 gallons) per minute to be water-efficient.
• Insulate all hot water pipes to reduce the delays (and wasted water) experienced while waiting for the water to “run hot”.
• Be sure the water heater thermostat is not set too high. Extremely hot settings waste water and energy because the water often has to be cooled with cold water before it can be used.

• Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth, and fill a cup for rinsing.
• Plug the basin drain for face washing and shaving.
• Check every faucet for leaks. Even a slow drip can waste up to 75 litres (16.5 gallons) a day! You may only have to invest in a washer to save hundreds of litres of water.
• Learn to repair faucets so that drips can be corrected promptly. It is easy to do, costs very little, and can mean a substantial savings in plumbing and water bills.

• Install faucet aerators. Aerators mix air with the water, reducing water flow and minimizing splashing. Water-efficient devices can save you up to 5 per cent of your total indoor water usage!
• Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water from the tap until it becomes cold wastes water.
• When washing fruits or vegetables, plug the sink drain or use a small pan of water, rather than running water.
• Use a small amount of water and a lid on the pot when cooking. This method uses less water. Save water from cooking vegetables for soups or gravies, or use it to give your plants a drink.
• When washing dishes by hand, don’t wash or rinse with running water. Use tubs or plug the sink.
• Instead of filling one sink for washing, and another for rinsing, place washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them all at once with a spray of water.
• For heavy cleaning of grill, oven parts, etc., presoak overnight. Wash with an abrasive scrub brush or pad and use plenty of elbow grease to minimize water use.
• Sink garbage disposal systems consume hundreds of litres of water each week, and increase the load for water treatment plants. Save money on your water bill and create a great soil conditioner for your gardens by composting kitchen wastes instead!
• For household cleaning, use a pail or basin instead of running water. Use a sponge mop instead of a string mop (uses less water for mopping, and takes less water to keep clean).

• Before loading the dishwasher, scrape dishes into the garbage instead of rinsing them with running water.
• Never run the dishwasher without a full load. This will save water, energy, detergent, and money.
• Buying a new dishwasher? Consider water requirements of various models – some use less water than others.

• When doing laundry, use the load selector to match the water level to the size of the load. If you do not have a selector, only wash full loads.
• Consider purchasing a front-loading washing machine. They use approximately 40 per cent less water, and 60 per cent less energy. They also use less soap, and are gentle on your clothes.
• Use cold water as often as possible to save energy and to conserve the hot water for other uses. (This is also better for clothes made with today’s synthetic fabrics).

• Use rain water harvested with a rain barrel to water gardens. This untreated water is great for your indoor plants and lawn as well. Call the Region at 519-575-4423 or click here for more information about Rain Barrel Distribution Day.
• Contour your garden so that rain water flows automatically from downspouts to thirsty plants.
• Rain water from your rain barrel water is great for washing the car, filling squirt guns, and other outdoor water uses! (Remember, water from your rain barrel is not suitable for drinking.)

• Use a bucket and sponge to wash and rinse your car so you only need a light rinse to get rid of the soap.
• To eliminate water-spots on your clean car, consider using rain water harvested with a rain barrel for that final rinse.
• Use a broom to clean sidewalks and driveways instead of a hose.
• Cover swimming pools when not in use to reduce evaporation.
• Use a bucket and squeegee to wash windows.
• Try using squirt guns to keep cool, rather than running through the sprinkler.
• Operate decorative fountains only when you're there to enjoy them.
• When cleaning outdoor ornamental ponds, use the waste water for lawns and gardens.

• Water only when necessary, and according to municipal bylaws. It’s time to water when grass turns a dull grey-green, and footprints remain when you walk across the lawn. If most of the lawn looks green and only spots or areas near concrete are grey, root-water or hand-water only the dry spots.
• Adjust lawn watering to the weather and soil conditions. Know how to turn off automatic sprinkler systems until needed. Avoid frequent watering. Watering too often causes your turf to develop shallow roots, making it more vulnerable to dry conditions. One inch per week is plenty!
• Water early in the morning, or late at night to avoid waste due to evaporation.
• Avoid using a lawn sprinkler. A single lawn sprinkler spraying 19 litres per minute uses more water in half an hour than 10 toilet flushes, two 5-minute showers, two dishwasher loads, and a full load of laundry put together!
• Depending on the size of your property, consider using a drip or trickle irrigation system, which uses 25-75 per cent less water than conventional methods, and is best for your lawn. Drip irrigation is a porous tubing with baffled openings which allow water to reach targeted root areas.
• If you must use a sprinkler, use a low rise sprinkler head. Make sure you’re not watering sidewalks and driveways!
• When reseeding or planting, consider drought-resistant grasses, which are often more resistant to insects and disease.

• Consider alternatives to lawns, such as Naturescaping, or Xeriscaping. The Region’s Greenbrook Demonstration Garden shows low-water using plants in mixed woodlands, a prairie garden, and a rock garden.
• Group plants according to their water use, to reduce the chance of damage due to over watering.
• Look for plants with grey, fuzzy, waxy or finely divided leaves, which are the most drought-tolerant. Plants with larger leaves generally require more water.
• Place mulch around trees and plants to keep moisture in, and reduce evaporation.