According to the City of Lethbridge, almost half of all home water usage occurs in the bathroom.
From detecting and fixing toilet leaks to optimizing shower and bath routines, every drop saved translates to significant savings and conservation.
The following are ways to conserve water and lower utility bills based on a family of four and using the April 2024 City of Lethbridge residential water rate of $1.327 per cubic metre.
Toilets are often the source of unnoticed leaks. Not only are they wasteful, they’re also expensive. A leaky toilet can waste upwards of 1,000 litres of water every day. This equates to almost $500 a year in water costs.
“A leaky toilet uses an immense amount of water you’re paying for,” says Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge. “Don’t forget to check all your toilets for leaks, even that one in the guest bathroom no one uses.”
Lowering your cost-per-flush is another way to save and conserve.
According to a report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, toilets older than 20 years typically flush with 13 to 20 litres of water.
Sheppard notes the average shower uses almost 10 litres of water per minute. That means a typical eight-minute shower uses 80 litres of water.
If each member of a four-member family showers once a day, that’s around $155 a year in water costs. If the family reduces their showers to six minutes, the annual price drops to around $116. And if they can each get clean in five minutes, that’s around $97 a year – a savings of more than 37 per cent.
“We all love the feeling of a nice hot shower, but cutting it a few minutes short is a great way to save water,” says Sheppard. “Use a timer or a short playlist to make sure you meet your goal.”
A low-flow shower head also lowers consumption. It reduces usage to approximately 7.5 litres per minute. This would result in the family paying only $72.50 a year for their daily five-minute cleansing sessions. That’s less than half their original amount.
However, let’s assume the family prefers daily baths. According to the CMHC report, a typical bath uses at least 150 litres of water. This would add up to 4,200 litres of water usage a week, removing around $290 a year from the family’s bank account.
While there are exceptions, baths typically use a lot more water than showers. But if you prefer baths, try soaking in less water or consider reducing your soaks to every other day.
Using a few easy conservation methods in the family bathroom could save upwards of $800 a year. The family could also conserve around 315 cubic meters – that’s 315,000 litres of water.