Shifting toward water saving practices is an essential step to ensure water is available for future generations. There are many easy and affordable ways to save water in your home. Bathrooms are the biggest source of wasted water inside the home. The following are some easy tips to reduce consumption.
Toilets
Toilets account for 24% of household water consumption and are a major source of leaks. Installing a water efficient toilet may save more than 70 litres per person per day. As of October 3, 2011, under the BC Building Code, the Province of British Columbia requires that all new construction install high efficiency toilets that have a volume of 4.8 litres or less. Replacing your old toilet with a low flow model is the first step to reducing water waste in the home.
Check out the Toilet Rebate Program offered by the City!
Is your toilet running? Here’s how to catch it!
Toilet leaks are a major source of wasted water in the home. Drop a dye tablet into the toilet tank and check back in 15 minutes. Dye tablets are available upon request. Call the Water Wise Hotline at 250-203-2316 or email water.wise@campbellriver.ca. If colour appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leaky toilet. Repair your leaky toilet, or replace it with a water efficient model. If you decide to replace your leaky toilet with a high efficiency toilet, don’t forget to apply for a rebate. Note: Applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts. To apply click here.
Tank Bank
An easy and affordable alternative to low flow toilets is the tank bank. Fill this device with water and attach it to the inside of the toilet tank. Through displacement, a tank bank will limit the amount of water that can enter the toilet tank. This device reduces the amount of water used per flush.
Showerheads
Showering accounts for 19% of total residential indoor water consumption. Older shower heads have flow rates as high as 20 litres per minute while new water efficient showerheads have flow rates of 7.6 litres per minute or less.
Aerators are also a great device to help save water. They screw onto a kitchen or bathroom faucet head and mix air into the water stream. This helps maintain a steady water pressure and reduces the flow rate significantly.
Learn how to install aerators in your kitchen and bathroom from this BC Hydro Demo Video.
Flow rate bag
This device helps you quickly and easily test the flow rate of any shower head or faucet to find out if your fixtures are water efficient. The flow rate may be calculated in gallons or litres per minute. The bag is reusable so pass it along to a friend or neighbor.
Water Audit
Are you a wise water wizard? Take the water use audit to find out where your household ranks on water consumption rates. Remember to send your water audit results via email (water.wise@campbellriver.ca) to be a part of water conservation initiatives in Campbell River.
Link to Water Audit Pamphlet.
To get a free dye tablet, tank bank or flow rate bag contact the Water Wise team at 250-203-2316 or email us at water.wise@campbellriver.ca. Available only while supplies last.
More Water Wise Tips
- Recycle unused water. Do you run the tap waiting for hot water to flow? Collect the cool water in a bucket or bin. This water can be used for cleaning, to water plants or fill pet bowls. Consider reviewing our section on rain barrels for more ideas.
- Take shorter showers.
- Avoid unnecessary toilet flushing. Using a toilet to flush garbage can waste up to 1,000 litres of water per year.
- Don’t leave the tap running while brushing teeth or washing your face.
- Scrape dirty dishes instead of rinsing them under running water before loading them into your dishwasher. Also, make sure your dishwasher is completely full before running it.
- Do not wash and rinse dishes individually. Fill your sink or use a tub to maximize water use.
- Consider investing in an on-demand hot water system. On-demand systems can significantly reduce hot water use if the main hot water heater is far away from the sink or appliance.