Protecting Calgary’s precious water resources is a shared responsibility among The City, businesses, and Calgarians. There are many actions you can take to ensure your home is using water efficiently.
Inside
As a part of your regular home maintenance, take the Leaky Toilet Test to find the most common cause of household leaks:
- Remove the tank cover.
- Put several drops of food colouring (or another coloured liquid, such as coffee or tea) into the tank.
- Wait 15 to 20 minutes.
- Look in the bowl. If the water changes colour, you’ve got a leak.
Most toilet leaks are silent and go unnoticed for long periods of time, so the sooner you find and repair leaks, the better.
Outside
With spring around the corner, it’s time to think about outdoor water efficiency. Add these items to your spring checklist:
- Check your outdoor taps, irrigation system, and water features (e.g. ponds or fountains) for leaks.
- Consult the YardSmart plant list before planning this year’s garden.
- Set up your rain barrel.
- Clean and repair downspouts, directing stormwater away from your house, ideally towards your garden.
Being water efficient means you’re helping protect Calgary’s water resources by:
- Keeping our rivers healthy by removing less water.
- Saving money and energy on treating and delivering water.
- Extending the use of our water treatment plants.
- Making drought less impactful to our homes and businesses.
- Increasing our resiliency to climate change.
To learn more about water efficiency, visit calgary.ca/waterguide.
