Environmental information on protecting water and reducing waste

Add up all of your water uses in aday. First your shower, then your

toilet flushes, then your laundry,hand-washing, and most importantly,your drinking water. How many litresare you using? 300? 200?

Our latest data shows that residentsof Waterloo Region are usingapproximately 224 litres per day onaverage. Compared to the rest ofCanada, we’re ahead of the grade;which is important since we rely soheavily on groundwater and mosturban centres have surface watersources.

Through using water efficient technologyand other best practices, we know that wecan use as little as 150 litres per day withminor or no change to our lifestyle. Usinghigh efficiency toilets (4.8 litres or lower),faucet aerators, efficient shower heads,front-loading clothes washers, efficientwater softeners and other techniquesmake a huge difference in our waterconsumption.

The Region’s most recent Water EfficiencyMaster Plan set a target for reducing our

community water demands by 6.8million litres per day by 2015. Ourconservation goal for 2010 was tosave 4.5 million litres per day ofdrinking water, but have actuallyachieved a reduction of 5.8million litres per day. So we’re wellahead of schedule.

The plan is to continue to offerprograms to help residents accessefficient technology and to educatethe public on what their best optionsare. We’ll also promote leakdetection programs and helpbusinesses complete projects which

reduce their water consumption.

Through continued research anddevelopment, our targets for personal waterconsumption continue to drop and theRegion of Waterloo would like to thank theresidents and business owners who aredoing their part to achieve our community’sgoals. Keep up the great work!

For more information on the WaterEfficiency Master Plan or any of ourprograms for residents and businesses,please call 519-575-4021 or visitwww.regionofwaterloo.ca/water

Don’t waste it – sort it . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Black gold from the green bins . . . . . . 2

Winter tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Merlin and Barb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Water conservation by-law . . . . . . . . . . 3

Fill up for free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Free water related resources . . . . . . . . . 3

Join the salt free diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Help protect our drinking water . . . . . 4

Where is our water going? . . . . . . . . . . 4

What’s happening waste programs . . . 4

What's inside?

A good conservation report card for Region residents

What can you get for $2 a week?Apackage of gum?

A coffee on one day?

How about one full year of blue box, greenbin, yard waste, appliance and garbagecollection at your curb, a dozen reuse andrecycle programs, plus landfill disposal,recycling and compost processing!

That’s right, just $2 a week of your Regionaltax dollars (or $105 a year) goes to wastemanagement. Curb side collection is themost visible service offered by the wastedivision, but that’s only part of this greatoffer. In addition, the Region makes sure thatwaste is disposed of in the most environ -ment ally safe and responsible way possible.

The Region operates one engineeredlandfill, one recycle sortingcentre, one largewaste transfer stationin Cambridge with a15 acre compostpad, six residentialwaste drop-off sitesfor cars and horsedrawn vehicles andenvironmentalmonitoring andmaintenance at fiveclosed landfills.Managing all theserequires provincialcertification, many

regulations and testing. We also have a high-tech landfill gas collection system that isused to make electricity – green energy!

But wait, there’s more! Tax dollars alsosupport many diversion programs forreducing and recycling waste. Our Regionhas one of the largest and most varieddiversion programs in the province.

Take advantage of all the great diversionprograms offered by the Region of Waterloo.Start using your green bin. If all residentsused their green bin and blue box to thefullest, half of the residential waste nowgoing into the landfill would be diverted.

Remember, filling our landfill is a limitedtime offer – when the space is gone, it’sGONE!

Waste facts:• The average household pays about $2

per week ($105 a year) on their Regionaltax bill for all waste managementservices (based on the 2011 market valueof an average residential property of$254,000).

• The collection trucks make over 1.5million residential stops per month.

• Our one landfill has approximately 25years left in its lifespan.

• In 2010, 51 per cent of residential wastewas diverted from landfill through ourprograms; let’s get that to 60!

Tips to save water that you maynot have heard before:

Fix leaks around your home. You probably havesome. An example is a toilet that runs by itselfat times. Toilet flappers need to be replacedevery three-five years or you’ll lose a lot of water.

Check your humidifier settings. If the humiditylevel is set too high, not only will it wastewater, but it promotes growth of bacteria.

Do you have an older water softener that is ona timer? Consider replacing it with an efficientone that recharges only when needed.

OCTOBER 2011

Wagon at the Elmira transfer station.

Water consumption per person, per day in Waterloo Region

239 litres2008

233 litres2009 224 litres

2010

Way back in the 1950’s, Life Magazine termed us the “ThrowAway” society. We have come a long way since then. Our

residents do a good job sorting reusable materials from garbage.

These materials are remade into new products. However, somethings are still being wasted going to landfill … and we wantthem!

Environews - October 2011

Merlin and Barb(the hawk)

By day, Barb, a Harris Hawk, keeps theseagulls away at the landfill. By night, she

stars in “Camelot” at the Stratford ShakespeareFestival (running until October 30th).

Don’t waste it – sort it

Actor Sandy Winsby with Barb on the Festival stage.

Photo by David Hou. Falconer: Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control, www.hawkeye.ca

Winter Tips

• Snow can make collection difficult. Please make sureall items are reachable from the street.

• Frozen green bin material isdifficult to empty. Tips to help:put a cardboard egg carton orcoffee tray on the bottom of binor layer food with soiled papertowel or newspaper; store yourgreen bin in the garage or nearthe house during cold nightsand put out for collection in themorning.

The Most Wanted List Where could it go? Impact?

Organics: all food scraps,soiled or wet paper such aspaper plates and coffee cups,pet waste

Green bin it all!

Note: pet waste should bewrapped in paper

• 40 – 60 per cent of household waste is organicand could go into the green bin

• Used to make compost for farms• Organics are what make the landfill smell• Partner with your backyard composter for meats, bones, etc.

Paper: junk mail, books,magazines, flyers, envelopes

Blue box – clean paperGreen bin – soiled orotherwise “yucky” paper(greasy popcorn bag)

• Recycling saves resources – trees!

Did you know? 190 million tonnes of wood a yearare used to make paper cups. Use a refillable mug.

Plastic: single use beveragecontainers (water bottles!)

Blue Box – a quick rinse,remove lid, crush, put in bluebox

• Recycling plastic means less oil is needed for new plastics• Decreases litter. Be sure to put them in the

blue box; these are too valuable to waste!

Metals: empty aerosol cans(even with plastic nozzle),pop cans

Blue Box - a quick rinse,labels can be left on

• Metals are valuable for recycling and helpoffset the cost of the program to residents

• Pop can material stays strong with repeated recyclingDid you know? Pop cans are made from bauxite ore.Mine it once, reuse it over and over again by recycling it.

Dan Shantz, a third generation farmer inWaterloo Region, likes the compost

made with the materials from our greenbins. Dan grows soya beans, wheat andcorn on his 1,500 acres of fields. He spreadover 1,000 tonnes of compost this summeron his fields. Why? According to Dan,compost is the best thing for soil. “It is allnatural and has many different kinds ofnutrients that are absorbed by the soil. Thishelps change the structure of soil, making ithealthier. It lasts longer and has many morenutrients in it than chemical fertilizers,”said Dan.

There is a lot of nutrition in food scraps andDan, along with many other farmers, lovesthat fellow residents are “green binning”.

“Please, no plastics,” Dan said. Plastic doesnot break down in the processing and tinybits of plastics sometimes appear in thefinished compost. No plastics, evenbiodegradable bags, are allowed in the greenbin.

Don’t waste another day. Use your greenbin. That “black gold”helps grow ourdelicious food!

“Black gold” from your green bins

Local farmer, Dan Shantz, holding what he refers to as“black gold” - compost made from our green bins.

More diversion programs forreuse and recycling:

household hazardous waste depot

used motor oil drop-off

tire & scrap metal drop-off

yard waste collection & composting

compost giveaway

toilet drop-off (to make landfillroads)

bicycle drop-off

Goodwill reuse drop-off

Habitat for Humanity reusedrop-off

education centre

green bins at schools

Environews - October 2011

The Region of Waterloo’s WaterConservation By-law became a regular

part of summer in 2005 and is now in effectevery summer from May 31 to September 30.The By-law allows once-per-week lawnwatering for all properties and every-other-day watering for trees, shrubs and gardens.

“This measure not only protects our long-term water supply, it also spreads waterdemands out so that water is kept in reserveto fight fires and supply emergencies,” saidNancy Kodousek, Director of Water Servicesfor the Region of Waterloo.

During the summer of 2011, the majority ofresidents followed the by-law, but anincreasing number of warnings and fines

were issued during the hot, dry stretchthrough July. It is important to remember acouple of key facts during each summer:

• In hot, dry weather, lawns will go yellowand brown but will not die as long as youare watering an inch each week on yourallowed day

• Watering anything during the hot middleof the day is extremely wasteful due toevaporation rates, so it is very important towater during the allowed hours (5:30-10 a.m.and 7-11p.m.)

Thank you for doing your part to conservewater each summer. Remember you canwater your lawn once per week in thesummer and enjoy the weather.

For more information, please call 519-575-4021 or visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/water

Water Conservation By-law is in effect every summer

Fill up for free while on the go!

Remember you canwater your lawn once perweek in the summer

You are away from home, thirsty and yourreusable water bottle is empty. What do

you do? Thanks to the Blue W program theproblem is solved. This tap water refillingnetwork identifies local businesses andpublic facilities that will refill your reusablebottle with tap water free of charge.

Finding a Blue W location is easy!• Look for the Blue W sign posted in

storefronts

• Go to BlueW.org and use the mappingtool (computers and smart phonessupported). Upon entering your locationdetails, the three closest Blue W sites willappear.

Blue W is looking for businesses wanting tojoin this free program. Businesses that joinbenefit from promotional listings in thewebsite database and increased walk-in foottraffic. Your business will be demonstratingits commitment to the environment as well

as providing a serviceappreciated by thecommunity.

For more information onBlue W, visit online atwww.BlueW.org. Thewebsite includes theonline mapping tool anddownloadable smartphone applications.Businesses interested inparticipating can alsoregister online.

Tap water – ours to drink!

• A healthy beverage choice –our bodies and minds needwater

• Affordable – less than apenny per glass

• Convenient – close at hand,easy to access

• Environmentally friendlyoption – nothing to throwout

Winter – it’s a Canadian traditionthat includes snow and ice. It’s

important we stay safe, but throwinglarge amounts of salt on ourwalkways and driveways isn’t theanswer. By using less salt you will:• Reduce salt corrosion damage to

your walkways

• Decrease salty build-up that canruin your boots and clothing

• Reduce health risks to your pets fromsalt trapped on paws or ingested

• Protect your plants and grass fromunwanted salt when snow melts

• Help protect our drinking water

Did you know that most of our drinkingwater comes from groundwater inaquifers? When the snow melts,excessive salt can also be absorbed in tothe ground – and into our source water.

The Region is doing its part to reduce saltused on roads. This includes proper

handling and storage of salt, usingup-to-the-minute weather reportsso salt is only applied whenrequired and using a liquidsolution that uses less salt andsticks to the roads.

Let’s all do our part to manage oursalt use. For more information,visit www.smartaboutsalt.com.

Reduce your salt use:• Wear proper outdoor footwear andmake use of snow tires• Shovel snow as soon as possibleafter a snowfall• Redirect downspouts away fromwalkways and driveways toeliminate ice build-up • Use salt sparingly and only whenrequired • Hire a smart about salt certifiedcontractor

Free water-relatedresources forteachers

Region of Waterloo offers freeresources on water to Grade 1 to 8

educators. Find out where our watercomes from and its journey from sourceto our taps. Discover why protecting oursource water is so important and ways wecan help conserve it.Downloadable tools and details on how tobook an in-class presentation are availableonline at www.regionofwaterloo.ca/water(click on Teacher Resources).Enjoying a drink of refreshing and healthy

tap water

Join the salt free diet

Winter salting has damaged these bushes.

Environews - October 2011

Prefer raking loose leaves to the curb? Call the Cities for details:

City of Cambridge:519-621-0740

City of Kitchener: 519-741-2514

City of Waterloo:519-886-2310

■ Yard waste collection until mid-November:yard waste collection is every second week.Please check the schedule on our websiteor call us at 519-883-5100 for information.

■ Compost workshop: Oct. 15. Free. Pre-registration required. Green bin, backyardand worm composting – all yourcomposting questions answered by ourcompost guru. Call to register 519-883-5100.

■ Household hazardous waste: hazardouswaste should be dropped off for specialdisposal at one of our depots orcommunity days. Free for residents.

• Year round depots: (limit 25 litres)

Mon. – Sat. 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.• Waterloo landfill, Gate 2• Cambridge landfill, paint andmotor oil only

• HHW drop-off days, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.• Oct. 22 – St. Jacobs Arena• Nov. 5 – Kitchener Memorial

Auditorium

■ TVs, computers, e-waste are banned fromlandfill and curb side collection: Recyclethem. Check www.recycleyourelectronics.cafor a location near you.

■ Close of seasonal drop-offs at the Waterloosite: a reminder that the home buildingmaterial reuse (Habitat for Humanity)and the bike reuse programs will close forthe winter and reopen next April. Pleasebring your items in before the end ofOctober.

■ Environmental Education Centre, Waterloolandfill: for elementary and high schoolstudents. This free, two-hour programhelps students understand the impacts ofwaste choices through discussion, displaysand a tour of landfill operations.Advanced bookings only. Call 519-883-5100.Buses are mandatory and must beprovided by the school.

■ Christmas tree collection: weeks of Jan. 2and 9. Please remove all decorations,stands and plastic bags.Tri-cities: set out on your regular garbageday. Max. length 1.8m (6 ft.).Townships: check your calendar.

Max. length 1.2m (4 ft.).

What’s happening? Highlights on our waste programs:

For detailed information on these and other services, locations, hours, etc.,please go to the front of the phone book; our website www.regionofwaterloo.ca/waste;

or give us a call at 519-883-5100.

Waste Management contact info:Waste Management925 Erb Street West, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4Tel: 519-883-5100 Fax: 519-747-4944waste@regionofwaterloo.cawww.regionofwaterloo.ca/waste

Water Services contact info:Water Efficiency150 Frederick Street, 7th Floor, Kitchener, ON N2G 4J3Water Quality and Supply Questions: 519-575-4757 ext. 3155Water Efficiency: 519-575-4021watercycle@regionofwaterloo.cawww.regionofwaterloo.ca/water

Editors:Waste Management: Kathleen Barsoum, 519-883-5100Water Services: Dan Meagher, 519-575-4423Graphic Designer: Pat Dusseldorp, 519-575-4599

Corporate Publishing

Where is our water going?

The Region of Waterloo uses billingdata from the local municipalities to

track how our treated drinking water isbeing used on a daily basis. Thecategories are broken down by sector:• residential (all homes and apartment

buildings);

• industrial (manufacturing facilities, etc.);

• institutional (hospitals, schools, etc.);

• commercial (retail businesses)

Opposite is a chart outlining the waterusage in Waterloo Region based on ourlatest data.

This data shows that residences are still themain water users in Waterloo Region,which helps guide the development ofprograms and policies to reduce water use.The Region’s Water Efficient TechnologyProgram helps commercial, industrial andinstitutional properties with waterconservation projects. Other programs,such at the Toilet Replacement Program,rainwater harvesting and naturescaping,help residents lower their waterrequirements.

For more information, please call 519-575-4021or visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/water.

2009 Waterloo waterconsumption distribution

Commercial8% Industrial

8%

Institutional11%

Residential73%

Help protect our drinking water

Don’t wasteanother day

Safe drinking water is vital for our healthand our community. To keep our water

clean we are developing a plan to protectour drinking water sources – groundwateraquifers and the Grand River. The planwill include policies and programs tominimize the impact from our activities,such as fuel and chemical storage andmanure application. There will be manyopportunities to provide your input, soplease visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/waterand www.sourcewater.ca to find out howyou can participate and learn more aboutthe Clean Water Act and source waterprotection.