It’s World Water Day!

Learn how to conserve water at home

Water is a part of our daily lives – we use it to brush our teeth, wash our clothes, cook our food and so much more. Today is World Water Day, and we’re celebrating this precious resource and encouraging you to do your part to help conserve it! 

World Water Day, proclaimed by the City of Vaughan annually on March 22, is a day to celebrate water and raise awareness about the global water crisis. The theme for this year is ‘Glacier Preservation’ – water from glaciers is essential for drinking water, agriculture, clean energy production and healthy ecosystems. However, rapidly melting glaciers due to climate change are impacting these systems around the world.

Today is an opportunity to learn how small everyday actions you make at home, school or work can help tackle climate change and the global water crisis and preserve the natural environment.

How can you make a difference at home?

Start by using water more responsibly. 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 your water use:                                                                             

1. Conserve water inside and outside the home

• Reduce the amount of time you are in the shower. Every extra minute in the shower can waste 10 to 20 litres of water.
• 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.
• Don't leave the hose running while washing your car.
• 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.

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 other than 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. Check for water leaks

• Most home water leaks are silent, which makes them hard to detect. They can cause unnecessarily high water consumption, which can lead to a high water and wastewater bill and costly damage to your home if left undiscovered.
• To test for leaks on your property, record the number on your water meter before you go to bed, then avoid running sprinklers, washing machines, dishwashers or toilets overnight. In the morning, check the number on your water meter. If the number has changed, it’s because water has passed through the meter, which means you may have a leak somewhere inside or outside your home.
• The most common cause of high water and wastewater bills is toilet leaks. Visit the City’s leak prevention webpage to learn how to check for a leaky toilet, read our leak detection guide (PDF) or watch this instructional video.

For more tips on reducing your water use, visit the City’s water conservation webpage. 

Vaughan’s water supply and distribution system

Wonder where our water comes from? 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. 

Here are more facts:

• The City maintains and operates 1,248 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 in the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ 2024 Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s Annual Report.

• In 2024, the City invested more than $13.6 million 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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