Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo has partnered with local developer Activa and greywater system vendor Hydraloop to study the potential water savings this technology could offer the community. This innovative pilot includes installing Hydraloop systems in four newly built Activa homes to track the water savings over time.
“As we see incredible growth in our community, we need to explore new ideas that will ensure we have a reliable water supply for future generations and as we grow to one million people. Finding new and innovative ways to conserve this vital resource is key to delivering on climate-aligned growth as part of our new strategic plan,” said Colleen James, Chair of the Region’s Planning and Works Committee.”
The greywater units are designed to take shower water used in the homes, treat it internally, and reuse it for toilet flushing, greatly reducing water use in the home, and water bills for the residents.
“With new technology making greywater reuse more affordable and viable, this pilot keeps us on the leading edge of finding real solutions to reduce water use long term,” said Mari MacNeil, director, Water and Wastewater Service at the Region. “I’m proud of our team of innovative professionals at the Region dedicated to moving us forward in sustainable water and wastewater initiatives.”
This partnership with the regional municipality, a developer, and a vendor is the first of its kind in North America. Four newly built homes in Activa’s Trussler West community have Hydraloop greywater units installed.
“As a leader in energy-efficient home building in the region, it’s important for us to always be looking to the future,” said Activa Chief Administrative Officer Geoff McMurdo. “Partnering with the Region on this pilot program was the perfect opportunity to test and trial another sustainable initiative that could lead to future efficiencies in new home construction.”
The Region of Waterloo will monitor water savings from each of the four homes over one year. Data collected from the greywater units will be used to inform the Region of Waterloo’s water supply strategy.
To learn more about the Region’s water efficiency programs, see www.regionofwaterloo.ca/conservation.
