Did you know that switching your shower head to a high-efficiency unit can save up to 200 litres of water during a ten minute shower? Or that, for the average Canadian family, a high-efficiency toilet can save up to 20,000 litres of water a year?
Because Water Matters is an initiative created to underscore CIPH members' commitment to conservation and technological innovation in the plumbing field. We hope to help increase your Water IQ and educate the Canadian consumer about how to be conscious of, and conserve, one of Canada's most precious resources.
Myth #1: Switching to a high-efficiency showerhead will reduce water pressure and diminish the quality of my shower experience.
Truth: Today's high-efficiency showerheads are designed to maintain water pressure, with small tubules that carry water to each individual nozzle. ADVICE: Look for a WaterSense-certified showerhead. All WaterSense showerheads must pass a rigorous force test as well as a test for even distribution the spray pattern.
Myth #2: High-efficiency toilets don't deal with waste as effectively as older toilets and often require a second flush.
Truth: Modern high-efficiency toilets use innovative technology that dramatically increases the force of the flush action And even if you did have to flush twice, you'd still be using less water than a 10+ year old toilet, which can use as much as 20 litres per flush.
Myth #3: High-efficiency plumbing fixtures just aren't stylish.
Truth: Thousands of shower heads faucets, and toilets have been certified to WaterSense requirements and from this vast selection, one can always find the fixture style they prefer. In fact, some major manufacturers no longer manufacture and sell the non-WaterSense product, because their focus is exclusively on performance, efficiency and style.
Saving Water in the Shower
Small Changes: Big Results
With minimal changes to the way we live our lives, we can reduce the consumption of the water in our households by 40%. If you spent $100 on your water bill last year, you'd only pay $60 for your water this year.
Check your plumbing for leaks: a leak of only one drop per second wastes about 10,000 litres of water a year.
65% of all water consumption occurs in the bathroom. Replace an older toilet with a newer, high-efficiency model can save up to 20,000 litres of water a year.
Conventional faucets have an average flow rate of 13.5 litres of water per minute – installing low-flow aerator on the faucet can significantly reduce that flow.
Use a bucket of water and a trigger nozzle on your hose to quickly rinse off your car, you can save up to 300 litres of fresh water.
Don't use the toilet as a garbage can, flushing items that could be disposed of in another manner. Depending on the toilet, you're wasting anywhere from 6 to 20 litres of water per flush.
In summer, use a sprinkler that lays water down in a flat pattern instead of one that oscillates. Oscillating sprinklers lose about 50% of the water they disperse through evaporation.
Only use what you need; most lawns and gardens require little more than 2 to 3 centimeters (1 inch) of water per week. To reduce loses due to evaporation, water early in the morning (after the dew has dried).
