What are the benefits of protecting and conserving water?

A Healthier Environment

The more water you use, the more energy it takes to treat, deliver and heat your water. Energy is also required to treat your wastewater so it can be safely put back into the environment. Most electricity produced in Ontario comes with an environmental cost such as pollution, which means the more water you use, the more stress you are putting on the environment. If a water source runs low or dry, communities are forced to find new sources of drinking water. The result can be drilling more wells, withdrawing more water from natural water bodies, seeking new sources of water, or creating dams and reservoirs. Solutions such as these can stress the environment by altering natural ecosystems, draining aquifers, and draining or altering wetlands which help supply and replenish our water.

A Healthier Bank Account

Not only will your water bill go down if you conserve water, but your gas or electricity bill will also decline because you are heating less water. Even if your water comes from a private well, it costs money to pump water to your tap, so you too will save. In addition, the more water you use in your home, the greater the burden on your septic system, which also costs money to upgrade or replace. Taking the initiative to protect source water makes good economic sense. It’s far more efficient to keep water clean and protected, as opposed to footing a bill for its restoration.

A Heathier Community

Protecting drinking water from contamination is the first step in safeguarding the health of all living creatures. Clean, safe water lends to good health and longevity. Also, by conserving water, you ease the burden on your community’s drinking and wastewater treatment plants - the less water you use and send down the drain, the less work these plants have to do to make your water clean again.

A Healthier Future

In some areas of Ontario, we use water faster than it can be naturally replenished, which can lead to long-term water shortages. However, smart water use stretches our water resources, helping avoid seasonal and long-term shortages, and saving thousands of litres of water per person each year! Protecting sources of water will allow our communities to plan properly for future development and ensure opportunity for economic growth.

The above information has been made available in part thanks to Conservation Ontario. To visit them click on their logo.