A Renter's Guide to the Wise Use of Water

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Keep our drinking water clean and affordable

It's easy to take drinking water for granted. Whenever we turn on the tap, out comes clean, drinkable water. What few of us realize is that every drop of water that comes out of the tap has been carefully treated to remove impurities and make it safe for drinking.

Water is continually recycled and reused. It's not just used once and flushed away forever, as our "flush and forget" attitude suggests. Every time we flush, we use up to 18 litres of purified drinking water – water that is immediately polluted, making it useless until it has been thoroughly treated again.

Municipal water supply and sewage treatment

Processing all that water is an expensive and complex job. The more water we use, the more we pay. The less we use or abuse it, the less it costs to make it safe to return to the environment.

As a renter, you may not know how much water you use. After all, you probably never see a water bill or have access to your water meter. But keep in mind that high water costs can only be passed on to one person, you, the tenant.

How much water do you use?

The average person in Canada uses about 335 litres of water per day – over twice as much as Europeans.

Toilets account for 30% of your total indoor water use. Combined with showers and baths, the bathroom represents about 65% of your home's total indoor water use.

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Small changes can make a big difference

By making small changes to your water use habits, and by using less water, you can help keep our drinking water clean and affordable.

Here's how:

• Check for leaks in your toilet tank by putting a little food colouring in the tank. Wait for fifteen minutes and if, without flushing, the colour appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Ask your landlord to fix it immediately. Don't let your rent money go down the drain!
  
  
• Use a water saving device in your toilet – a large yogurt container or plastic bottle filled with water or sand will displace water in your tank and save water every time you flush.
  
  
• Urge your landlord to undertake a retrofit and replacement programme with new water-efficient fixtures.
  
  
• Always turn off your taps so they don't drip. If you find a leak somewhere, make sure it gets repaired immediately.
  
  
• Take short showers – five minutes or less should do. A switch to a low-flow showerhead will save you money on your energy bill too! If you prefer baths, fill the tub only one-quarter full.
  
  
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, washing dishes, and rinsing fruits and vegetables. To rinse, use a partially-filled sink instead.
  
  
• If you have an automatic dishwasher, use it only to wash full loads, and use the energy saver of shortest cycle. The same goes for your washing machine.
  
  
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until the water gets cool. Rinse the container and change the water every few days.

Down the drain?

To help reduce pollution of our waterways – and our sources of drinking water – use low phosphate and biodegradable cleaning products.

Never put garbage of any kind down the drain, toilet or storm sewer. Cooking grease, household cleaners and other chemicals can be harmful to the environment, not to mention your pipes.

Diapers, dental floss and plastic tampon holders all create problems at wastewater treatment plants.

Treat our water with care – it's non-renewable!

REMEMBER, the WISE USE OF WATER will save you money and help improve the environment.

An environmental citizen uses water wisely
For more information, contact:
Enquiry Centre, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0H3
Toll free: 1-800-668-6767