Prevent Pollution 
Did you know that water that falls as rain on your property can mix with household chemicals and cause pollution? Many of the activities around our homes can impact the health of our local creeks, rivers and the ocean. When it rains, water travels across our driveways, roofs, property and perimeter drains, and picks up any chemicals, metal, dirt and oil outside. This rainwater then enters our stormwater system, which connects to our natural waterways. Here are some best practices that you can do around your home to help prevent pollution in your rainwater. Watch our Prevent Pollution Video!  

Resources:

• Powerwashing without Pollution (PDF)
• Painting without Pollution (PDF)
• Pool & Spa Water Disposal (PDF)
• Pesticides & Fertilizers (PDF)
• Permeable Pavement
• Building a Rain Garden

Conserve Water
In summer months, water use in the capital region increases by 44%, mostly due to non-essential outdoor uses like lawn watering. By conserving this precious resource, we can help ensure there is enough available to meet our drinking water demands, protect against wildfire events and support fish and ecosystems through the dry, hot summer months when there is little rainfall to replenish the reservoir. Watch our Water Wise Summer Video!

Resources:

• Water Wise Lawn Care (PDF)
• Guide to Outdoor Water Use (PDF)
• Watering Schedules
• Garden with Native Plants (PDF)
• Efficient Irrigation

Keep Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) out of the drain

Each year almost one million kilograms of fats, oils and grease (FOG) flow down the drains of homes throughout the capital region. Well, it doesn't always flow. FOG that makes it down the sink from food preparation and cooking, clogs pipes and treatment screens, causing sewage backups, overflows and odour problems. Even with advanced wastewater treatment, what you put down the drain matters! FOG that makes it through to the ocean can deplete oxygen, damaging fish and other organisms that inhabit the environment. Not to mention it takes additional energy for treatment plants to break down fats, oils and grease in the system which contributes to climate emissions.

Resources: 

• We've put our sink on a fat-free diet
• Keep Fats, Oils and Grease out of the drain (Video)

Be Water Wise in the Kitchen

There are many easy ways to save water in the kitchen. By checking for leaks regularly and changing your water habits, you can save water, energy, money and – most importantly – you can protect the quality of life for future generations and ecosystems. Small changes add up to big savings! Water has many functions in the kitchen. From cooking to washing the dishes, we use water for many of life's daily tasks. Let's be water-wise in the kitchen!

Resources:

• Water Wise Kitchen Tips
• Learn where we use water (PDF)
• Be a Leak Detective (PDF)

Clean Green in the Kitchen

Many household cleaners and solvents are hard on the environment — and, in our region, anything that goes down a drain inside our homes can end up in the ocean or in our groundwater. Fortunately, there are environmentally-safe and inexpensive alternatives to most household cleaners.

Resources:

• Clean Green Cookbook (PDF) 
• Lemon-scented all purpose cleaner (Video)
  

Un-flushable Waste

Un-flushable waste is any kind of waste that is flushed down the toilet but shouldn’t be. This practice can lead to blockages in the sanitary sewer system and impact the health of our waterbodies by causing sewage to overflow into the environment and can also cause damage to private plumbing infrastructure belonging to homeowners (including septic systems).  Baby wipes, disinfecting wipes and other similar products are often marketed as “flushable.” They get past the toilet, but unfortunately, they don’t get very far. Dispose of wipes in the garbage and remember the Three Ps: only Pee, Poo and toilet Paper should be flushed.

Resources:

• It's a Toilet not a Trash Can
• Drain friendly cleaning recipes (PDF)

Water Wise Bathroom Habits

We use a lot of household water in the bathroom, as much as 65% with showers using the second-most water and the third-most energy in the house! So Strive for five-minute showers - save energy and 10,000 litres of water per year! By making water wise choices, we can delay costly infrastructure, make sure there is enough drinking water for the year for a growing population and healthy ecosystem, and have the flexibility to deal with the effects of climate change.

Resources:

• Water Wise Bathroom Habits
• Be a Leak Detective
• Replace your leaky toilet flapper (Video)