- Monitor your water bill; checking your water consumption every time you receive a bill. In this way, you will be able to detect leaks faster. Big jumps in unexplainable water use are often due to breaks or leaks.
- Check your water meter when you will not be home and no water will be used (eg. humidifier or water softener); Check the reading before you leave and when you come home. In winter, if you have a humidifier, turn the humidifier and water to it off during this time. The reading should not change.
- Check toilets for leakage and the water level every three months; Toilets are the number one user of water in the home. If a leak has developed you should then catch it before it becomes large. When purchasing a new toilet, purchase one that is WaterSense labeled.
- Listen for water running at the softener when it is not recharging; Softeners use a fair amount of water to soften water. But if a leak has developed, their water use can become quite high. Listen for water running at the softener when it is not recharging. There should not be water running at that time. When it is time to replace your softener, DIR (demand initiated regeneration) softeners only regenerate when needed, not after a set number of days. Not adding salt to a softener not only prevents the production of soft water but also the softener will continue to regenerate and wasting water.
- Check your humidifier; Some types of whole-home humidifiers can discharge to the drain up to 200 liters per day of wasted water when running properly. If you see the flow in the drain line, shut the furnace off for a few minutes. If you continue to see flow after a few minutes, the solenoid valve may not be functioning properly and the amount of wasted water can become quite large.
- Switch to a high-efficiency front-load washing machine;
Check out these sites for more tips and recommendations:
www.epa.gov/watersense for information and lists regarding Water Sense labeled products
www.map-testing.com for information and lists regarding Water Sense labeled toilets and
urinals. This site also has a number of reports regarding water
efficiency and products
www.energystar.gov or www.cee1.org for lists of energy, including water, efficient appliances
www.watersoftenerfacts.ca for information regarding water softeners and a map of the Region
of Waterloo and Guelph hardiness zones
www.regionofwaterloo.ca/wetchallenge take the new “WET Challenge” and tell our governer what you
think