Save water this summer; Get money back

Spring is here, and so is the City's campaign to reduce and conserve water use in Guelph. We actually haven't been too bad off in the water levels the last few summers, but the downside of our mild and nearly snowless winter is that water levels don't get the replenishment they need before the lazy, hazy days of summer. Not to fret though because the City of Guelph has a couple of insentives for you. Here's the press release:

GUELPH, ON, March 15, 2010 – The City of Guelph is now offering residents rebates for installing water efficient furnace-mounted humidifiers and waterless floor drain trap devices in their homes.

Water efficient furnace-mounted humidifiers can save up to 128 litres of water per day during the heating season, compared with inefficient older models. The Home Humidifier Rebate Program provides rebates of $30 and $70 for the installation of furnace-mounted humidifiers that send 50 litres and less of water per day down the drain.

The Floor Drain Retrofit Rebate Program offers rebates of $60 for replacing automatic floor drain priming devices with City of Guelph approved waterless floor drain trap devices. Automatic floor drain priming devices can stop working, and when combined with a leaking laundry faucet can send volumes of drinking water down the floor drain.

“The amount of water used by older furnace-mounted humidifiers and water primed floor drains in the home is not always obvious to homeowners," said Wayne Galliher, the City of Guelph's Water Conservation Project Manager. "The City's two new rebate programs will help residents understand the value of replacing these devices—specifically, reducing water consumption and saving money on water bills."

The Floor Drain Retrofit Rebate Program and Home Humidifier Rebate Program were recommended programs identified in the City’s Water Conservation and Efficiency Strategy Update to help the City achieve its water use reduction targets. The City aims to reduce Guelph's water use by 8.7 million litres of water per day by 2019.

For more information about the Floor Drain Retrofit Rebate Program and Home Humidifier Rebate Program visit guelph.ca/waterconservation.