Conserve Water and Manage Your Bill

Check Your Toilets for Leaks: 

1. Drop food colouring into the holding tank. Wait 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Peek into the toilet bowl. If the water changes colour without flushing, you have a leak. The faster the dye appears, the more significant the leak. 
3. Repair the toilet as soon as possible.

*** It's good to check toilets for leaks every six months.

Other Ways to Conserve Water in Your Home:

• Keep a jug of chilled drinking water in your refrigerator rather than running the tap to get cold water.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water instead of running water in the sink. Reuse the wash water for watering plants.
• Only run dishwashers and washing machines when they are full.
• When handwashing dishes, fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water instead of letting the water run from the tap.
• Scrape plates into the compost bin rather than rinsing the food off of dishes. 
• Use high-efficiency shower heads and faucets.
• Turn off your water while brushing your teeth or shaving.

• Only mow your grass when it's needed, taller grass shades the soil which helps it retain moisture.
• Leave grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings are 85 per cent water which helps keep moisture in your cut grass and reduces the need to water.
• Use a rain barrel to collect rain water and reuse it to irrigate your lawn or plants.
• Check outdoor faucets, sprinklers and hoses for leaks and repairs.
• Set up your sprinklers so they only water the grass instead of the sidewalk, street or your home.
• Choose water-saving containers for your potted plants to help keep water in the pot and don't need to water your plants as often. 
• Water your lawn infrequently and in the morning or late evening to help prevent evaporation.