In the Home

The average person in Chilliwack uses 400 litres of water each day. Apart from outdoor use in the summer, a substantial amount of water usage occurs inside the home. Where is your water usage coming from?

Even the smallest of changes to your water use can have a meaningful impact over the course of the year. Consider the following recommendations to enhance your own habits and to increase the efficiency of your house during future renovations.

• Refrigerate drinking water instead of letting the tap run until the water is cool enough to drink.
• Install faucet aerators. This is a cheap and simple fix that can dramatically reduce water consumption in both the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Use the tap sporadically when washing vegetables or dishes to avoid constant usage.
• Defrost frozen foods in the microwave or fridge instead of running under water.
• Operate the dishwasher only on full loads. Using the light/short cycle generally conserves more water than washing dishes by hand.
• Wash clothing on the short cycle of your machine and only on full loads. This may decrease the amount of water used by up to 50%.
• Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving.
• Take short showers rather than baths. Also try turning off the water while you are lathering up.
• Regularly check your toilet and piping for leaks. Leaks cannot be heard until they reach a rate of approximately 300 litres per day (which can roughly double your average daily usage), which is why it is important to make use of leak detection tablets. If you wish to install new, more efficient toilets, check out our toilet rebate program.
• Strongly consider installing a low flow showerhead and toilet. A low flow showerhead will reduce water consumption by 30-50%.
  
• Insulate hot water pipes to get hot water faster.
• Collect the warm-up water from showers or baths to use for watering plants.