Celebrating World Water Day!

‘Accelerate change’ by adding three simple water-saving practices into your life

Every time you shower, flush the toilet or wash the dishes, you can count on the City of Vaughan’s safe and reliable drinking water system to help you get the job done. On World Water Day, the City is celebrating this precious resource, and reminding everyone to do their part to help protect and conserve it!

World Water Day, proclaimed by the City annually on March 22, is a day to celebrate water and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people around the world living without access to clean, safe drinking water. World Water Day’s 2023 theme, ‘accelerating change,’ and the United Nations’ ‘Be the change’ campaign encourages you to take action against the global water crisis by changing how you use, consume and manage water. This is an opportunity to learn about environmental stewardship and how small everyday actions you make at home, school or work can impact the natural environment.

Adopting water conservation practices can save you money on your water and wastewater bill and help ensure safe and clean drinking water for future generations!

Here are three simple practices you can try to reduce water use:   

1. Conserve water

• Limit showers to five minutes. Showers can waste 10 to 20 litres of water every minute.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full.
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway and walkways.
• Use a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering gardens.
• Plant drought-resistant trees and plants. Many thrive with far less watering and maintenance than others.
• Water your lawn or garden only when needed. Depending on the weather, time of year or type of plants or turf, you may only need to water once or twice per week.

2. Protect your drinking water source

• The water that enters Vaughan’s stormwater system through catch basins goes back into local creeks, rivers and lakes, such as Lake Ontario – the source of Vaughan’s drinking water. Ensure chemicals, fertilizers, yard waste, food and other materials do not enter catch basins.
• The City’s sanitary sewer system is not designed to dispose of anything beyond human waste, toilet paper and wastewater. Everyday items, such as hygiene products, wipes and food waste should never be flushed or poured down toilets or drains.
• Fats, oils and grease should be left to cool and scraped into the green bin for safe disposal. They don’t go down the drain!

3. Buy local

• Not only is local food fresher and better for the environment, but when you eat local, you support local farms. When able, consider buying local, seasonal food and look for products made with less water.
• Visit local farms and farmer’s markets. Visit York Farm Fresh for locations across York Region or download the York Farm Fresh Map. You can also visit Greenbelt fresh or Ontario fresh to locate fresh and local food in Ontario.
• Look for the Foodland Ontario logo when shopping at grocery stores.
• View the City's local food postcard as a quick reference for tips about buying local food and information about agriculture in Vaughan.

For more tips on reducing water use, visit the City’s Water Conservation webpage.

Vaughan’s water supply and systems

The City is committed to providing safe and reliable drinking water to all Vaughan residents and businesses. Vaughan relies on a complex network of pipes, pumps, equipment and people to safely deliver drinking water to our taps and remove used water from our homes and places of work.

Here are some fun facts about Vaughan’s water:

• Vaughan’s drinking water comes from Lake Ontario. It’s treated by the City of Toronto and the Region of Peel to meet Ontario’s drinking water quality standards. Then, York Region supplies clean, treated water to the City of Vaughan for distribution. 
• The City operates and maintains 1,150.9 kilometres of watermains, 10,500 fire hydrants, 53,500 water valves, one booster station and one pressure elevating station.
• The City received a 100 per cent inspection rating on the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) 2021-2022 Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s Report.
• In 2022, the City invested $18,344,200 to install, repair and/or replace equipment required to deliver safe drinking water. Costs were funded through the City’s water rates, associated reserves and the approved capital and operating budgets.

To ensure safe and efficient water and wastewater systems now and for years to come, the City builds, maintains and rehabilitates infrastructure to provide long-lasting access to water, wastewater and stormwater services.

For more information on the City’s water systems and services, visit vaughan.ca/water.

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