Calgary is on its eighth day of Stage 4 water restrictions, the result of a main water break on Dec. 30 that has affected residents, communities and businesses. Mayor Jeromy Farkas has called for increased vigilance and water conservation as water usage pushes into a danger zone he describes as “loss-of-life territory.” It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s definitely one that can be addressed if we all work together to curb our city-wide water usage.
“Calgary’s water system is under significant strain,” said Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Susan Henry in a press release. “If we experience an unexpected event, our current consumption levels leave little room to respond. We are reminding Calgarians and our regional partners to help use less water.”
According to the city, on Jan. 5, Calgarians used 514 million litres (ML) of water, well above the target zone of 485 ML and another increase over the day before. The water restrictions don’t just affect Calgary — the city has also asked surrounding communities like Airdrie, Chestermere and Strathmore to do their part in reducing water use.
Conservation isn’t our strong suit here in Calgary, but there are some very easy ways to reduce your water consumption. If we all do our part, we can avoid a worsening situation where lack of water affects life-saving city services, including firefighters.
Here are the best ways to reduce your water consumption and conserve water here in Calgary — your fellow citizens will thank you.
Household tasks that require the most water
Luckily, in the winter months, we don’t have lawns and gardens to water, tasks that require 52.5 litres of water every 5 minutes. It’s one of the highest water wasters, so reducing our consumption shouldn’t be as difficult as it would be during the summer months.
According to the City of Calgary, filling a bathtub and using a top-load washing machine also requires excessive amounts of water. Running a front-load washing machine uses half the water of a top-load machine, but it’s still one of the highest water wasters in the household.
Here’s some more data on average water consumption for everyday household tasks:
- Running a top-load washing machine (per cycle) uses 112 litres
- Filling a typical bathtub (per use) uses 92 litres
- Watering the lawn (5/8″ hose size for 5 minutes) uses 85 litres
- Faucet leaks (per day) amount to 67 litres
- Running a front-load washing machine (per cycle) uses 62 litres
- Watering the lawn (1/2″ hose size for 5 minutes) uses 52.5 litres
- Showering (per 5 minutes) uses 47.5 litres
- Running the dishwasher (per load) uses 28 litres
- Each toilet flush uses between 4.8 and 6 litres
Flush less
Since each flush uses up about 5 litres of water, flushing less is a great way to conserve water. By flushing the toilet only when necessary, you can save an amount of water that equates to roughly the amount of blood in the human body. If it’s yellow, let it mellow… You know the drill.
Press pause on laundry
Run your laundry machine only when full, and consider switching to a front-load machine to conserve even more. The laundry room has the biggest water-saving potential, and the city recommends limiting loads to only the clothes you need throughout the week.
Take shorter showers
Skip bath time and stick to three-minute showers. You can set a timer on your phone or sing a little tune to help you stay on track. You can also consider switching your daily shower routine to once every two days. Residents can save approximately 50 litres of water by skipping their daily shower.
Only run the dishwasher when full
Contrary to popular belief, washing dishes in a dishwasher is actually more water-friendly than washing them by hand. You can reduce your water load by only running the dishwasher when full, setting your appliance to a shorter cycle, and turning on any eco settings.
Water-conscious cooking
There are lots of ways to reduce water even more in the kitchen. Prepare meals that limit pots and pans, leave food in the fridge overnight to defrost, and boil food like pasta and potatoes in as little water as possible. You can also opt to turn off ice machines and water-heavy appliances, and keep a jug of drinking water in the fridge.
Have you come up with other ways to save water around the house during Calgary’s water restrictions?
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