Vaughan urging residents to reduce water usage after Peel supply disruption

City offers tips on how to reduce water consumption

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 1, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Vaughan advised its citizens over the weekend to reduce their water usage due to a “temporary service disruption” in supply coming from Peel region.

“Any unnecessary water consumption should be avoided at this time,” the city urged residents in a news release. “Fresh clean water is a precious resource, so it’s important to work together to protect and conserve it,” the city added.

Vaughan didn't say how long this water advisory will last.

York Region provides Vaughan with clean water, which is sourced from Lake Ontario and treated by the City of Toronto and Peel Region.

In July, Peel issued an outdoor water use advisory for Bolton businesses and residents, citing repairs at a regional water treatment facility as the cause.

On July 21, the outdoor water advisory was lifted for Brampton, Mississauga and Bolton after repairs at the Lorne Park water treatment plant were completed to a point where enough capacity had been restored to allow normal water use.

But Brampton said the Peel residents must continue “practise water conservation” during the summer months as there was some “remainder” of repairs to “continue for the balance of the summer.”

Here are the tips provided by Vaughan on how to reduce water usage:

• Limit showers to five minutes (long hot showers can waste 10 to 20 litres of water every extra minute).
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full to save up to 3,000 litres of water a month.
• Only water your lawn or garden when needed.
• Check for outdoor leaks in pipes, hoses and faucets (leaks outside the home can be just as wasteful and costly as leaks inside the home).
• Refrain from washing vehicles.