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Canadians are the second highest per capita users of water in
the world, second only to the United States worldwide.
The average Canadian uses roughly 335 litres of water a day.
That's about 25 per cent more than the average Australian, two and
a half times more than the average German citizen and to add to
the problem, about half of this highly treated water is simply wasted,
adding to the infrastructure burden and potentially depleting necessary
reserves. From leaky faucets and water-guzzling toilets to excessive
lawn watering, the amount of unnecessarily wasted water each year
is enough to fill more than nine million bathtubs.
However, there are some practical steps that we all can take
to conserve this vital resource and ensure a steady supply of clean,
fresh drinking water for generations to come.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers the following
tips to help you cut down on the amount of water your family uses
and improve your home's water efficiency:
- Fix leaky faucets immediately. A leak of one drip per second
will waste 10,000 litres of water a year. You can repair most
leaks as easily as changing a worn-out washer.
- Test for hidden leaks by checking your water meter in the
late evening and again in the early morning. If the meter indicates
any water use during the night that can't be accounted for,
track down the source of the leak and repair it.
- Replace older low-efficiency toilets with Ultra-Low Flush
or High-Efficiency models. Toilets are the single worst water
wasters in most homes. If you have an older 13- or 20-litre
toilet, your family could literally be flushing more than 60,000
litres of wasted water down the drain each year! To find out
how to choose the right toilet for your needs, consult CMHC's
About Your House Fact Sheet on Buying a Toilet.
- Replace your existing appliances with more water-efficient
models. High efficiency clothes washers save water, energy and
reduce clothes dryer energy consumption as well by wringing
more water out of clothes than conventional washers.
- Install low-flow faucet aerators and a low-flow or water-efficient
showerhead, and try taking short showers instead of a bath.
This can also help reduce your gas or electric bill, since there
will be less demand on your hot water heater.
- Avoid running water unnecessarily when brushing your teeth,
shaving or washing.
- Wash only full loads of laundry and fully load your dishwasher
before using it.
- Use rainwater from tubs, sinks and washing machines to water
your lawn or for toilet flushing.
For more information or to obtain a copy of CMHC's Household
Guide to Water Efficiency ($7.95), visit our Web site at www.cmhc.ca
or call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642. For more than 60 years, Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been Canada's national housing
agency, and a source of objective, reliable housing expertise.
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