Protect your home, the environment and save!

Using less water, keeping rainwater on your property and managing what and how much goes in to our storm sewer system means you are protecting your home and the environment and saving money at the same time. Whether you live in a home, a condo or an apartment, everyone has a role to play.

Bathroom

• Install water-efficient toilets, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
• Toilets are not for trash – throw dental floss, personal care products and Q-tips in the proper bin; expired medications should be taken to a Household Hazardous Waste Depot or to a pharmacy.
• Check for a toilet leak by adding drops of food colouring to your water tank; if the water in your bowl changes colour, you have a leak.

Kitchen

• Keep a jug of water in the fridge to avoid running the tap for cold water.
• Install a low-flow faucet aerator on your tap.
• Only run the dishwasher when it’s full.
• Keep grease and oil out of the drain. Kitchen grease should go in the green bin (as long as there is material to absorb it).

Basement

• Use a high-efficiency front-loading washing machine, and run only full loads.
• Consider installing a backwater valve and a basement sump pump if you have experienced basement flooding. Be sure to maintain your equipment once it’s installed.

Outside

• Disconnect your downspouts.
• Install a rain barrel and use the water for your grass and garden.
• Increase the amount of green space around your home and install porous paving to help absorb rainwater and melted snow.
• Maintain your grass at a height of 5-8 cm for a greener lawn with fewer weeds. Keep the mulched clippings on your lawn.
  • Water your lawn in the morning. Healthy lawns need only 2.5 cm of water once a week, including rainfall – use a rain gauge to keep track
• Keep water out: seal windows and wells, fix leaks in basement walls and ensure the ground around your property slopes away from foundation walls.
• Do not dispose of chemicals or household waste, such as oils and grease, in drains or sewers. Take them to Household Hazardous Waste Depots or Community Environment Days.
• When washing your car, ensure the used water does not enter the storm sewer. Consider a commercial car wash and clean up spills or leaks from your vehicle to reduce the amount of toxins entering the storm sewers.
• When emptying your pool, water from chlorinated pools must be dechlorinated before disposing of it into the storm sewer system. Water from salt water pools must be carefully released into a sanitary system connection located on your property.
• Frozen pipes can burst, which wastes water and can cause a lot of damage. Before the first frost, unscrew hoses, drain valves and turn off the outdoor water supply.

For more information visit toronto.ca/water or call 311.