1.why do we need to conserve water 2.water metering program 3.operation save h 2 o program 4.outdoor...
TRANSCRIPT
1. Why do we need to conserve water
2. Water metering program
3. Operation Save H2O Program
4. Outdoor Water saving tips
5. Indoor Water saving tips
Water Conservation - Overview
Existing water source has limited capacity
Very expensive to develop new water source
Eliminate/defer new infrastructure
Reduce water and sewer bill
Why do we need to conserve water?
Cost of Water
Increasing cost because of high expectation of water quality, reliability and sustainability
Expensive to treat
Water rate increasing since 2002 because of the new filtration plant
Relatively cheap compared to European countries
Water Consumption
Water use per capita has been decreasing
Research shows that more than two-thirds of households practice some sort of water conservation
Water use comparison (litres per capita per day) – Canada has the 2nd highest per capita water use in the world
i. United Kingdom 125 l/c/d
ii. Germany 100 l/c/d
iii. Canada 340 l/c/d
iv. BC 450 l/c/d
• Lots of room to reduce consumption
Water Metering Program - Objective
Effective way of water conservation, particularly when working with other watersaving techniques
Pay for the water you use
Provide financial incentive to save water
Water Metering Program – Current Status
Mandatory for new homes, and all commercial & industrial properties
Voluntary program for existing homes
47,000 homes metered, 36,000 more homes yet to be metered
Metered homes consume less than 60% of non-metered homes
Do You Want a Water Meter
If you use less than 2 m3 of water per day (about 9 bath tubs), you will save money
If you have fewer than 6 persons in your house with typical water usage, you may save money
Having a water meter puts you in control of your water consumption
Call 604-575-9283 to volunteer for a meter.
Operation Save H2O Program
Community based program providing education material and water saving tips
Educates and engages residents in water conservation
Conducted by groups of college and high school students
Can easily save 20% of water by changing water use pattern
Outdoor Water Use
Variable depending on lot size, vegetation type, driveway or car washing, etc.
Varies significantly between 0-90% of your total water consumption
Potential great savings
Lawn Watering
Lawn sprinkling regulation enforced since 1992
Let your lawn go dormant during the summer. Brown is the new ‘green’ in lawn care
Watering once a week is adequate
Lawn with good soil base and good root structure needs only 25mm (1 inch) of water a week
Water in morning to reduce evaporation
Leave grass clippings on your lawn to reduce evaporation and need for watering
Leave grass longer to reduce evaporation
Rain Barrel
Rain barrels are available to Surrey residents at cost
Savings dependent on weather pattern
Other Outdoor Water Use
Car wash – use carwash that recycles water
Avoid hosing down deck, driveway, patios ~ sweeping instead
Indoor Water Saving Tips
Saving water means saving energy
Fix leaking toilet and faucet
Low flush toilets
Low flow shower heads and faucets
Energy and water efficient washing machine and dishwasher
Fix Leaking Toilet and Faucet
Inspect and repair plumbing pipes and fixtures
Use leak tablets to test toilet tank leakage
Avoid running faucet – turn off tap when brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc.
Steady stream ~ 3785 litres per week or equivalent of $250 per year down the drain
Low Flush Toilets
6 litre toilets are mandatory for all new construction
Save 15% of water consumption or $50 annually
Low Flow Shower Heads and Faucets
Compare the flow rate of shower heads
Reducing showering time by 2 minutes will save the same energy used by a 60W light bulb running for 12 hours and
7% of total water consumption
Energy and Water Efficient Washing Machine and Dishwasher
Accounts for 30% of indoor water
Run full load for each washing cycle
Front loading washing machine
Use 35%-50% less water
50% less energy
30% less detergent
Shorter drying time