Water Conservation Tips

Conserving water helps everyone. Reducing its use can help you save money, help the environment and aid in water sustainability for the future.

Here are some helpful hints to conserve water in your home:

Bathroom

  • Do not let the water run while brushing your teeth. Turn it on only to wet your toothbrush, rinse it off, and rinse your mouth. This simple action can save up to three gallons per day.
  • It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub, so showers are generally more water-efficient. Try to reduce the time you spend in the shower, even by a minute or two.
    • Turning off the shower when shampooing will save even more water!
  • Install low-flow shower heads, low-flow toilets and faucet aerators on your bathroom taps.
  • Use natural biodegradable cleaning products that don't contain chemicals

Kitchen

  • Use the dishwasher only when there is a full load.
  • Do not pre-rinse dishes; most modern dishwashers do not need this step.
  • When washing by hand, use a basin to rinse dishes instead of using running water.
  • Pour yourself a drink of cold water from a refrigerated pitcher instead of running the tap.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables in a partially-filled sink. Rinsing them under running water uses more water.
  • Replace old dishwashers with ENERGY-STAR models.
  • Install faucet aerators on your kitchen taps.

Laundry room

  • Close to a quarter of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by washing full loads of laundry.
  • Replace old washers with front-loading ENERGY-STAR models.
  • Install faucet aerators on your laundry tub taps.

Outdoors

  • During the summer months, cut evaporation by watering during the early morning hours.
  • Use a broom instead of your hose to remove debris from your driveway or sidewalk.
  • Bathe your pets outdoors in areas that need water.
  • Direct downspouts towards shrubs and trees in your garden.
  • Use mulch around trees and plants to reduce evaporation.
  • Allow your grass to grow slightly taller to promote water retention in the soil.

Recycle

  • Don't throw out paper, recycle it instead. Unbelievably, it takes approximately 6 gallons of water to make a dollar worth of paper. By recycling a pound of paper you save around 3.5 gallons of water!
  • See our recycling page to find easy ways to recycle in Yorkton.

Leaks

  • Fix a leak. Even a leak of only 1/16th of an inch can waste up to 10 gallons of water each day if it is not fixed.
  • See our Water Leaks page for more information on how to check for possible water leaks