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Points of Interest regarding Water Conservation
Water is a natural resource and conservation is an environmental must,
not to mention that you pay for any water that goes through your meter,
regardless of how it is used. Here are just a few
tips to help you conserve water. Practice water conservation year-round.
It's good for the environment and your pocketbook, and it's especially
important during peak periods.
Reduce water use during Peak Periods
Peak period demands on the water supply occur between 5 p.m. and 11
p.m. on hot summer evenings when thousands of people water their lawns,
wash their cars and run dishwashers and washing machines. These demands
on the water supply are up to three times what they are at other times
of the year. Outdoor water use accounts for about 50 per cent of home
water use in summer.
Water Shortages
Normally, there is enough water supplied by the Town of Whitecourt's
treatment plant to meet everyone's need. However, water shortages may
result during extended hot, dry weather.
When the water in the reservoirs is low:
General Tips to Conserve Water
· Purchase a low flow shower head and a low volume toilet (or
put a large plastic bottle in the back of your toilet tank) A shower
head like this can save $60.00/year for a 10 minute daily shower. A
toilet with a 6.0 litre unit can save a family of 4 $131.00/year.
· Repair any dripping faucets. Fixing a one drip per second faucet
saves $10.00/year. Larger leaks such as a 1/16" trickle uses 7000gallons/month,
resulting in a charge of $35.31 for water and sewer a month. A ¼"
trickle will use $161.45 of water and sewer a month.
· Wash only full loads of clothes or dishes.
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Lawn and Garden Care Tips to Conserve Water
· Don’t water the lawn too often or too long.
· In hot weather, let the grass grow longer and it will not dry
up as fast.
· Water in the early morning – between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.
It's better than watering at dusk and helps prevent the growth of fungus
on plants. Watering in the hot sun is not good for plants, and in the
heat of the day most of the water evaporates anyway.
·Water your lawn only if it needs it. Lawns don't need to be
watered every day. A good way to see if your lawn needs watering is
to step on the grass. If it springs back up when you move away, it doesn't
need water.
·Sharpen your mower blade in the spring and keep it sharp. Grass
can recover more quickly and easily from one clean cut than from many
tears.
·Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
·Cut your grass higher than usual. Taller grass holds water better,
provides shade for roots and actually looks richer. The optimal height
for grass is 6 to 8 cm.
·Use a rain barrel. Save money by reducing your monthly water
bill.
·For addition lawn maintenance tips visit:
Health Canada Web site
Points of Interest on Checking for Toilet Leaks
If a toilet is leaking your Utility bill will most certainly reflect
it. It can be very costly if not looked after immediately. Sometimes
you may hear the toilet running but quite often it will go unnoticed.
Some tips on checking for a leak:
· If you hear the tank refill every 15 minutes or so you may
have a problem with the flush valve seat. To check, add several drops
of dark food coloring to the tank. If there is a leak the coloured water
will seep through the seal and into the toilet bowl. Aha! Your toilet
is draining the tank constantly, and wasting much water. Fortunately
you can buy a replacement valve.
· If the toilet you just flushed is refilling and won’t
stop, you have a running toilet and an expensive one at that. Chances
are the stopper is not sitting square on the flush valve seat. The chain
or lift wire is probably caught underneath the stopper. Fix it by jiggling
the handle, or pulling the chain out from the stopper. You may eventually
have to shorten the chain, fiddle with the lift wire, or replace your
stopper.
Encourage your friends and neighbours to be part of a water-conscious
community.
Please do your part to conserve water...every drop counts!
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