The water we use for drinking, cooking and bathing is in fact a sparse commodity. In the US west, they have a significant drought and water shortage and are looking at importing water from Canada. The same is true in many areas in Canada where we have either too little rainfall or snowfall and ground water or too much and flooding. We rarely have just enough.
Winnipeg gets its water, via aqueduct, from Shoal Lake which is located in Lake of the Woods in Eastern Manitoba. Construction of the Winnipeg Aqueduct began in 1915 and was completed in 1919. We have been fortunate that we have been able to draw fresh water from this lake. But like all natural resources, fresh water is scarce and we all need to pitch in to help conserve it.
Wikipedia defines water conservation as:
Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and to meet the current and future human demand. Population, household size, and growth and affluence all affect how much water is used. Factors such as climate change have increased pressures on natural water resources especially in manufacturing and agricultural irrigation.
We at Kay Four Properties have policies, strategies and activities do all that is possible to reduce water utilization:
1. We have installed high efficiency washing machines that use much less water than regular laundry equipment.
2. We recently joined with Manitoba Hydro Powersmart to install flow regulated showerheads and tap aerators to reduce water flow without interfering with your enjoyment.
3. We are installing water saving toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush instead of 6 gallons.
4. We are currently studying a hardware / solution to monitor water wastage.
But it is up to you, our tenants, to contribute to that effort. Some of the things that you can do to help in this effort are:
1. Report leaking taps to us immediately so they can be fixed quickly
2. Report leaking toilets to us immediately so they can be fixed quickly.
3. Reduce the frequency of hotbox showers (long hot showers intended to add heat and/or humidity) that not only waste a huge amount of water but also  damage your washroom.
4. There are 20 water conservation tips for you to consider and incorporate into your life at this website: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/20-ways-to-conserve-water-at-home.html
Please help us conserve water for the benefit of all on this fragile planet.
