Water

Conserving Water

Many regions of Canada face serious water shortages, and these are predicted to get worse over the next years.

Many other cities meter and charge for water by the gallon in the same way gas and electricity are purchased. Dawson Creek charges by the cubic meters and has been metering water for over 40 years, and will be looking at additional water conservation measures in the near future.

Conserving water is easy. A few inexpensive additions to your home water systems make a big difference in consumption.

Learn to read your water meter and keep track of how much water you and your family use, and use this checklist to make your home and family water conservators.

In the Bathroom:

• Install low-flow/aerating shower and faucet heads. You can tell if you need a low-flow showerhead if your shower can fill a one gallon bucket in fewer than 20 seconds.
• Take short showers - 5 minutes maximum. Turn the water off when lathering or shaving. Your low-flow showerhead has a button that cuts off the flow without changing the water temperature and volume.
• As shower water runs to temperature, capture the first cold water in a bucket and use it to water plants or wash floors and windows.
• Use only as much water as necessary in the tub, and plug the drain before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature once the water flow is hot.
• Insulate your hot water pipes so that you don't have to run as much water before it gets hot.
• Turn the water off while shaving, brushing your teeth and washing your face. Turn it off after wetting your face or toothbrush, and back on to rinse.
• Don't use the toilet as a trash can. Keep a wastebasket in the bathroom.
• Check the toilet for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait a few minutes without flushing. If the colour appears in the bowl, you have a leak that needs to be fixed.
• To reduce the amount of water used in each flush, place plastic bottles filled with sand in the toilet tank. Keep the bottle away from the operating mechanism. (Do not use bricks, which disintegrate after a while and damage the operating mechanism.)
• Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Just one drop per second wastes thousands of litres per month.
  

In the Kitchen and Laundry:

• Do not use running water to thaw food. Place the frozen package in a bowl of cold water to thaw (do not use hot water as it causes uneven thawing and increases risk of food poisoning).
• Keep a container of water in the fridge to cool so you don't have to run water for a cold drink.
• Keep up the maintenance on your dishwasher and washing machine as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Always wash full loads of laundry and dishes.
• When washing dishes by hand, don't leave the water running continuously for rinsing. Fill one side of the sink with clean water for rinsing, or put the washed dishes in a rack and rinse them all at once with a spray attachment or a pot of water. Wash dishes in a plastic tub and use the cooled soapy water for deck and garden plants. They love it.
• Wash vegetables and fruit with a vegetable brush and a basin of water rather than under running water.
• Reuse water that vegetables are washed in for watering houseplants or for cleaning.
• Remove or stop using the garberator in your sink. It uses a lot of water to dispose of organic food waste. An alternative way to dispose of your vegetable and fruit scraps is composting.
• Install flow restrictors on faucets.
• Use a stopper and fill the sink rather than letting the water run while you wash your hands, etc.

Outdoors:

• Delay regular lawn watering in the early spring to encourage deeper rooting, grow a healthier lawn, and cut down on mowing.
• Avoid excessive watering. Most lawns need only an inch of water per week to stay healthy. Set a shallow can on the area of lawn to be watered. When there is an inch in the can, your lawn has received an inch of water.
• Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on the grass, if it springs back the lawn does not need to be watered.
• Water in the evening or early in the morning to reduce evaporation and avoid burning the grass.
• Set sprinklers carefully to avoid over-watering onto pavement, siding, driveway, etc.
• Better yet, use a drip irrigation system that waters only where you want it, when you want it and reduces evaporation and wind loss significantly.
• Aerate the soil in the spring and fall to help the lawn soak up runoff.
• Cut back on the amount of fertilizer you use.
• Plant drought tolerant grasses, plants, trees and shrubs.
• Consider xeriscaping your yard. Xeriscaping is landscaping that uses minimal water.
  Xeriscaping Your Yard or Permiculture is the new way to go
• Use mulch around plants to help the soil retain moisture and reduce the growth of weeds.
• Use a broom to clean walkways, driveways, decks, etc. instead of a hose. Wash decks with a bucket of water and brush, brrom or mop.
• When washing vehicles, run the water only to wet and rinse. Use a container to hold the water used for washing. Wash your vehicle on the lawn so the rinse water will irrigate the soil. Move the vehicle back onto the driveway to dry so it doesn't leave marks on the lawn.
• Collect rain water in a barrel and use it to water your gardens.
• Listen to the weather forecast and don't water when it calls for rain.
• Set the kitchen timer for 15-20 minutes when you begin to water. It will remind
  you when it is time to move it to another area.
• Reduce the size of your lawn. Plant drought resistant ground cover in areas that don't get a lot of use. See Xeriscaping Your Yard.
• Adjust your mower to the highest setting. Leaving the grass longer allows it to
  shade itself, and leaves it better able to fight off heat and hold moisture.
• Do not water on windy days. This avoids water blowing to places other than
  your lawn.

City of Dawson Creek - Water Conservation Tips