96-11E                                               May 1996

How To Use Water Efficiently in the Household

Manitoba Environment is encouraging efficient use of municipal water. The need in Manitoba is not obvious, as many areas of Manitoba are blessed with an abundant amount of surface and ground water in its inland lakes, rivers, and aquifers. However, the amount of water available for municipal use in Manitoba is diminishing. In addition, the costs of providing water and wastewater treatment services to Manitobans are steadily increasing.

Review the following tips. Confirm that household water is used efficiently.

WATER IN THE BATHROOM

• Reduce water per flush in toilets by up to 40% by installing early closure flappers. (Do not use bricks!) Replace 16 to 26 litre per flush toilets with 6 litre ultra low flush toilets.
• Refrain from using the toilet to dispose of trash.
• A partially filled tub uses less water than a long shower; a short shower uses less than a full tub.
• Install a low-flow shower head with a flow cut off valve to turn water off while soaping up.
• Install a 3.5 litre per minute aerator for the bathroom tap.
• Fill the basin, instead of letting the tap run, while shaving;
• Brush teeth using a glass of water to rinse.

WATER IN THE KITCHEN

• Install a low flow, 9 litre per minute aerator for the kitchen tap.
• Rinse dishes in a stoppered sink or rinse basin, not with running water.
• Wash vegetables using a basin or a stoppered sink, then quickly rinse.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge.
• Thaw food in the fridge rather than under a running tap - conserves both energy and water.
• Compost organic wastes instead of using a sink garbage disposal.
• Buy a low water use dishwasher to save both energy and water.
• Water treatment or softening systems should only be used if required. Ensure it regenerates only when necessary, not on a fixed time or water volume basis. Turn the system off if going away for more than a few days.

WATER USE IN THE HOUSE

Front loading washing-machines use less water than a top loading washer because of innovative washing technology. A second choice is a clothes washer with a suds saver attachment and a water saving cycle.

• Wash full loads of laundry.
• Insulate hot water tank and pipes. Install a heat trap on the pipe above your water heater to save energy and water.
• Locations of sink, toilet, and main shut-off valves should be known in case a pipe or water heater blows, or so water can be turned off before leaving on vacation.
• Use water from fish tanks, which is high in nitrogen and phosphorous, to water plants.
• Wash the car with a bucket of water, not with a running hose; or use a car wash that recycles its water.
• Clean your driveway with a broom, not water.

FIXING LEAKS

A leak of one drop per second wastes 10,000 litres of water per year. A toilet that runs after a flush can waste 200,000 litres of water per year.

• Check for differing water meter readings from just before going to bed and first thing in the morning; this would indicate a leak.
• Conduct a periodic "leak check" (minimum twice a year) on water using fixtures and appliances, including outside hose connections. Replace worn washers, O-rings, packing and faulty fixtures.
• If a few drops of food coloring put in your toilet tank makes its way into the toilet bowl, check the flapper valve, valve seat, and flapper lift chain for the source of the leak.

WATER IN THE GARDEN

• Grass cut at least 5 cm long requires less water because roots, new growth and nearby soil is shaded.
• Water garden when not windy, and at night or early morning to minimize evaporation. Just water the lawn or garden, not the sidewalk, road, or neighbor's sun deck. Buy a timer for your outside faucet, or use a kitchen timer as a reminder to turn water off.
• Use a soil moisture indicator to tell when your lawn needs watering.
• Sprinklers that spin in a circle allow less evaporation than an oscillating type that switches back and forth.
• Aerate lawn regularly.
• Use a watering can with water from your rain barrel or cistern (underground tank or reservoir) for garden plants that need extra water. Otherwise install a drip or automatic irrigation system, or upside down soaker hose. Encourage deep root growth by giving your garden just one slow, thorough watering a week.
• Encourage children to use squirt guns rather than the hose, and a small splash pool rather than a sprinkler to keep cool. Use the water from the pool for your garden.

XERISCAPE

An expression that combines "Xeri", which means dry, and the "landscaping", Xeriscaping implies water conservation through improved landscaping.

• Mulch wherever possible to help soil retain moisture and discourage weed growth.

   

• Ensure grass is a drought resistant variety.

  Replace nonessential grassed areas with drought tolerant trees, shrubs, and flowers. This reduces watering requirements, and contributes to air quality. During the first two years after planting, new trees, shrubs and flowers may need periodic watering to get established.

   

• Before planting, incorporate compost into the soil to help regulate soil moisture and add nutrients.

   

• Plants native to the area are adept at surviving local conditions. While reducing water and care needs, appropriate habitat is provided for native birds and other animals.

If you are already doing more than 32 of these actions, you are truly water aware.

If you had more than 20 positive responses, you are well on your way. Just a little more familiarity with your water use will turn you into a water efficiency whiz.

If you had less than 20 positive responses, take the time this summer to use your new water wisdom to become the water advocate of your neighborhood.

Inquiries on Manitoba's Water Use Efficiency Program may be directed to the Water Use Efficiency Coordinator at:

Pollution Prevention
123 Main Street
Suite 160
Winnipeg MB R3C 1A5
Phone: (204) 945-8980
Toll free: 1-800-282-8069 extension 8980