The City of Guelph has received silver level recognition from the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) for its water efficiency programs, becoming the first Canadian municipality to achieve such recognition.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized again for our water-saving programs,” said Heather Yates, supervisor for water efficiency at the City. “The dedication of our staff and the ongoing participation of the community have helped us consistently meet, and often outdo, our water conservation and efficiency targets.”
“We are pleased to recognize the City of Guelph’s innovative and successful water efficiency and conservation efforts through their addition to the AWE G480 Leaderboard,” said Bill Christiansen, director of programs at AWE.
Recognition on AWE’s G480 Leaderboard is based on how a municipality, or water utility, meets the American Water Works Association G480 Water Conservation Program Operation and Management Standards. These standards are considered the best in class for developing, delivering and evaluating a water conservation program. Application criteria includes:
- compliance with local regulatory requirements
- integrated water efficiency practices, such as having metering and seasonal water use strategies in place
- development of a water efficiency strategy, and
- fostering a culture of water conservation within the community.
This recognition affirms the City’s dedication to water conservation and efficiency as a community priority.
“Guelph residents currently use around 163 litres of water per person per day, which is much less than provincial and national averages,” said Yates. “We’re working toward reducing the average use to 150 litres per person per day by 2038. The community’s participation in our water efficiency programs will help us get there.”
Guelph is one of the largest communities that relies on groundwater for its municipal water supply. The City’s Water Supply Master Plan identified water efficiency programs as a top priority for achieving the City’s water use reduction target of 9,147 cubic metres per day by 2038, an amount equivalent to almost four Olympic-sized swimming pools every day. Water use in 2017 was about 37,950 cubic metres per day, enough water to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
