Tips for Conserving Water at Home

August is Water Quality Month, a time to reflect on what your household and community can do to help protect our water supply. With water quality, goes water conservation, and it starts right at home.

Here’s some simple ways you can conserve water at home:

Kitchen

• Install low-flow faucets, which can save you up to 3.5 gallons of water a minute
• Wash fruits and vegetables in your sink, rather than running water
• Install an energy-efficient dishwasher
• Avoid pre-rinsing dishes, and ensure your dishwasher is completely full before running it
• Keep a jug of water in the fridge, rather than running the tap until it’s cold

Laundry

• Use front-loading washing machines, which are energy-efficient and use less water
• Ensure your laundry loads are large enough before running the washing machine

Outdoors

• Avoid running your sprinkler to water your lawn
• Use a rain barrel to catch rainwater for watering plants/flowers
• Avoid running your hose for extended periods of time: washing your car, washing your siding, etc.

Bathroom: 

Did you know that more water is used in your bathroom than all the other rooms in your house? That’s why these tips are so important!

• Use water-efficient shower heads
• Install water-efficient faucets
• Check your toilet for leaks
• Install a low-flow toilet
• Use a garbage to dispose of tissues, etc. instead of flushing things down the toilet.

The City of Calgary has meticulous water conservation processes and plans in plan at the municipal level:

We have a number of plans, programs and tools in place to help reduce water demand. Our 30 year Water Efficiency Plan, aims to maintain river water withdrawals at 2003 levels, even with population growth. We are on track to meet this. We engage with citizens and businesses about a number of programs aimed at using water wisely. [City of Calgary]

Practicing water conservation at home isn’t just great for the environment, it’s also great for your wallet. By taking simple measures to save water around your home, you will also be saving yourself money on your utility bills. Learn more about water conservation all month, search #WaterQualityMonth on social media.