Drought conditions: tips to conserve water
Due to lower-than-normal rainfall over the last few months in the Cataraqui Region, the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) recently confirmed Level I Low Water Conditions.
We can assure our community that Utilities Kingston is able to maintain sufficient water supply to meet demand. The current low water level concern is specific to residents on groundwater systems or that draw from inland lakes or streams. Still, we draw source water from Lake Ontario. Thus, your efforts to conserve tap water will help protect local water bodies. Using outdoor water in accordance with summer watering restrictions (which come into effect June 15) is a great preventative measure.
The CRCA monitors and reports on water quality and quantity of our watershed in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. We support the CRCA’s advisory by issuing the following water conservation tips:
- Take shorter showers to help conserve water.
- Compared to standard showerheads, using low-flow showerheads can reduce water flow by 40-60 per cent and save up to eight litres of water, per minute. Look for the WaterSense label to help you choose products that use less water and, in some cases, less energy.
- Check for toilet leaks (and fix them) to save a potential 1,400 litres of water per month.
- Using full loads and shorter washing machine cycles can save 95 litres of water per load. When possible, wash full loads, or choose a lower water level setting (some newer machine will do this automatically). Choosing the appropriate soil settings will also help reduce water use.
- Doing a full dishwashing load on a shorter cycle could save up to 28 litres per load.
- Washing your car at a carwash that recycles water will conserve water and prevent harmful run-off pollution.
- Use outdoor water in accordance with summer watering restrictions (which come into effect June 15).
- Practice drought tolerant gardening to minimize water use. Learn how to plan a garden that requires less water by visiting our Water Conservation Garden online resources.
- The CRCA offers these tips: Residents are asked to conserve water by limiting outside watering of plants and lawns, washing vehicles, driveways and sidewalks. As well, they recommend conducting repairs on leaky plumbing or fixtures to help curtail water wastage. Note that lawns naturally become dormant during times of low water and will recover quickly. Lawns that have turned brown from the drought are not “dead”; the grass has just gone dormant from lack of water. When rainfall returns, the grass will come out of dormancy and perk back up.
Visit our conservation tips webpage to learn more ways to save water, energy and money.