Can residential changes lead to corporate progress: Ottawa Water Conservation Program

CO: Municipalities like Ottawa are subsidizing water efficiency in residential areas, businesses should follow the trend.

• Free kits combined with kit delivery within certain areas should speed adoption
• All of the incentives are in the right place: save money on water costs, save water and the environment, no additional costs to the consumer (except perhaps for the inconvenience of waiting for the kitchen sink to fill...)
• Corporations with a strong sense of corpobligation could see this as an opportunity for change, which will appeal to newly aware consumers.

• The City of Ottawa kit contains:

  • One low-flow showerhead
  • Bag test to determine showerhead flow rate (prior to installation)
  • One energy efficient kitchen aerator
  • Two energy efficient bathroom aerators
  • One Toilet Tank Bank

Residential Indoor Water Efficiency Kits

Why is the City of Ottawa providing Water Efficiency Kits?

The City's target, taking into consideration population growth, is to reduce maximum day production at the Lemieux and Britannia water purification plants by 25 per cent by the end of 2008, and by 50 per cent by the end of 2014. Aerators and low-flow showerheads can greatly reduce water and energy use.

How can I get a kit?

You must be a resident of the City of Ottawa.

To receive your free kit, visit one of the City's seven Client Service Centres, complete a registration form [ html pdf ], and a piece of identification confirming your address such as your water or municipal tax bill.

The City of Ottawa kit contains:

• One low-flow showerhead
• Bag test to determine showerhead flow rate (prior to installation)
• One energy efficient kitchen aerator
• Two energy efficient bathroom aerators
• One Toilet Tank Bank

City of Ottawa / Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. TAPS Partnership

The City of Ottawa has partnered with Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. to provide door-to-door delivery of energy and water efficiency measures in the following postal codes: K1B, K1C, K1J, K1W, K0A, K2A and K2B. These kits will be delivered and installed as indicated below by authorized Enbridge Gas Distribution contractors, specifically, Capital Environmental Ltd. and EnviroCentre.

Kit contains:

• Up to two low-flow showerheads (installation provided)
• Foam pipe insulation (installation provided)
• One energy efficient kitchen aerator (installation not provided)
• One energy efficient bathroom aerators (installation not provided)
• Toilet Tank Bank (installation not provided)

The TAPS program is limited to one (1) installation per municipal address and is being delivered through to November 30, 2007 in the above stated postal codes only.

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