What can you do to save water? Calgarians offer their tips and tricks

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Calgarians have shown ‘significant’ reduction in water consumption, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said Monday morning, and must continue to do so until the feeder main is repaired, which is expected to take at least five more days.

Over the weekend, the mayor apologized for poor communication regarding a timeline and plan for the fix, as well as mandatory and voluntary restrictions, and vowed to daily live updates to provide Calgarians with information. During Monday morning’s update, she suggested flushing the toilet five fewer times a day as a means to reduce a household’s water consumption.

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The city is currently operating under stage four water restrictions. What that means is that all outdoor water use is banned. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Watering lawns, gardens, flowers, trees and shrubs with city water
• Filling outdoor pools or hot tubs
• Washing outdoor surfaces, including windows, exterior building surfaces, sidewalks, driveways or walkways
• Filling fountains or decorative water features
• Washing your car in the driveway or street
• Using water for construction purposes such as grading, compaction or dust control

Indoor water reduction is voluntary, but necessary for reservoirs to catch up with demand, according to city officials.

We asked our readers to share ways they are using less water and they delivered. Here are your tips:

Kitchen swaps

Choose meals that require little-to-no water to cook, or change cooking methods to accommodate lower water usage. Examples include using less water when boiling pasta or vegetables, or using a barbecue to cook vegetables, if possible.

Water can also be reduced in coffee by swapping to espresso, which requires less water.

Many Calgarians have made the temporary switch to paper plates, cups and utensils to save on water required to run a dishwasher or hand-wash dishes. Others are choosing low-prep meals, like sandwiches, to reduce dishes.

Some readers are using a tub of water sparingly to clean dishes. If you use a dishwasher, check the settings for shorter or economy cycles. Dishes typically do not need a full wash, and this has the added benefit of saving electricity as well.

Gail suggests using water in a spray bottle to get food off dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. This will use less water than running the tap.

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Changing bathroom habits

As Gondek suggested, flushing the toilet fewer times will significantly reduce water consumption. We heard the saying, “When it’s yellow, let it mellow, when it’s brown, flush it down,” a few times.

Greg, a plumber, uses old whiskey bottles to save water with each flush.

“I have filled 2 old glass whiskey bottles with water and placed one in each tank of my 2 toilets. The bottle holds 750ml, plus the space of the bottle itself, it probably saves about one litre every time we flush.”

The whiskey bottle can be substituted with anything glass that will stay weighed down and not float around the tank.

Other bathroom suggestions include avoiding baths unless necessary and shortening showers. The city is suggesting cutting showers to three minutes or less.

“Use only enough water in the shower to get wet, then turn off and lather/scrub, then only enough water to rinse- probably less than a minute running time,” suggested Glen. 

Palma has switched to using the shower wand instead of the shower head.

“That makes it easy to turn on/off and you can direct the water exactly where you want it.”

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Some have turned to two-in-one shampoo and conditioners to avoid the need for a double rinse. Dry shampoo is a good option for those skipping hair washing completely.

General consensus is to keep showers under five minutes.

Ensure water is turned off between soaping and rinsing hands, and between brushing and rinsing teeth.

Reusing water

An outdoor watering ban is in place, which has many gardeners worried about their harvest, but solutions were quickly discovered.

“I save the water I use for washing fruits and vegetables and boiling vegetables, pasta and potatoes to use on my most fragile outdoor plants,” said Calgarian, Teresa.

Others are placing buckets in the shower to catch water and using that in gardens, saying that the shampoo and soaps can be good for some plants. These tricks can be used for indoor plants, as well.

Diane suggests any dishwater used through the day can be used to flush toilets instead of being dumped.

Steve is also collecting water throughout the day to use to flush his toilet.

“I cut toilet consumption by shutting off the water supply to the tank before I flush. Throughout the day, I now capture any clean water (and some soapy water) that I have leftover from kitchen activities (like boiling eggs, water run to wash my hands etc. ) and (it) goes into the tank.”

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Rain barrels are an efficient tool to reduce water use, using the collected water for outdoor watering. This rainwater can also be boiled and used to clean in the kitchen, or to flush toilets.

Calgary homeowner Milena suggests the city provide small rain barrels to homeowners, “the same way they provide bins for recycling, composting and garbage.”

Milena uses water-saving tricks on a regular basis, regardless of the water supply situation, and was prepared when the city asked individuals to reduce consumption.

“It feels great to contribute to easing the burden on everyone.”

Camping tips

Some folks are turning to tricks used while camping to navigate the potential water shortage. Many of these tips are hygiene-related.

Twyla suggests using cleansing wipes instead of face wash and water, and to have pre-portioned water to brush teeth with. One glass of water should be sufficient for two brushes.

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Others have similar ideas about cleansing wipes, suggesting using wipes for the entire body to postpone showers.

Carol from Calgary says one cup of water and a tiny bit of soap goes a long way. Taking advice from her Girl Guides days, she suggests starting from the top and working your way down while sitting on a towel. Four ounces of water to wash and four ounces to rinse.

Hand sanitizer can be used as an alternative to handwashing, and antiseptic wipes and spray sanitizer can be used in place of soap and water when cleaning surfaces.

“Incorporate (the) mindset of pioneer farm living before indoor plumbing or going camping in a tent. All water must first be hauled in a bucket by hand into a house or to a campsite. By physically collecting water, all is used and none wasted,” said one Calgarian who chose to remain anonymous.

While the mayor suggested something as simple as flushing five fewer times a day is sufficient, these suggestions will reduce water consumption further, ensuring the city is able to keep up with demand.

The tips shared here may also prove beneficial moving forward to reduce household water bills.

Do you have a water-saving tip that wasn’t mentioned? Share it in the comments.

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