Rewarding water conservation in Waterloo Region3 min read

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Written by: Scott Cressman, Region of Waterloo

Two organizations who championed water conservation – with some help from the Region of Waterloo – have been awarded Water Efficiency Excellence Awards.

This spring, Piller’s Fine Foods and the Waterloo Region District School Board were awarded for their water-saving projects.

The two local organizations invested in projects that are now saving 33 million litres of drinking water each year, with support from the Region’s WET (Water Efficient Technology) Program. The WET Program offers funding to help businesses and organizations improve water efficiency. Each year, the most impressive projects also receive a Water Efficiency Excellence Award.

Big efficiency projects often pay for themselves over time. But it takes leadership and commitment to make the initial investment of time and money.

At Piller’s Fine Foods facility in Waterloo, the company upgraded a large, older boiler with a much more efficient model. The new equipment will save 72.6 cubic metres (72,600 litres) of water per day. That’s equivalent to the water used by 164 households of three people.

“Water conservation is an important part of Piller’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) initiatives. We are committed to implementing programs which have a meaningful impact on the environment and will allow future generations to use the resources we all have enjoyed so far,” said Raik Meissner, Piller’s vice president operations.

Meanwhile, the Waterloo Region District School Board upgraded 16 schools with new urinals, toilets and leak repairs. The board also bought and installed 25 FLOWIE devices, which are high-tech water meters that provide 24/7 data to help flag unusual use and leaks.

All these investments are now saving 18 cubic metres (18,000 litres) per day. That’s equivalent to the water used by 41 households of three people.

“For the Waterloo Region District School Board, water conservation’s importance is three-fold: to protect our buildings, protect our finances and protect our environment,” said Caleb Gingrich Regehr, the school board’s supervisor of energy conservation. “Ultimately, it’s about what’s good for our students, both today and in the future.”

Water conservation is good for the environment and helps ensure there’s enough water for our growing community. It keeps the Region’s infrastructure costs down. Homes and businesses that use water efficiently also benefit from lower water bills.

To learn more about all the Region of Waterloo’s different water efficiency programs, visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/Conservation.