Hello everyone! One way to brighten your days is to take on a new challenge! For 2022, the Green Initiatives Committee has developed a series of monthly challenges to help us all make some simple changes for a greener lifestyle. We are hoping that some of our ideas will interest you because lots of us making small changes can add up to a BIG difference.
So please look for the new article and challenges each month in the Pulse.
Summer is upon us at last! Now if last year was any indication, we could be in for some hot and dry weather this summer. Which makes water conservation particularly important.
Did you know that in Calgary the average person uses about 7000 litres of water per month? When is the last time you checked your utility bill to see what yours was? How does it compare to this average? The City of Calgary’s target for water use (including residents and business customers) is 350 litres per capita per day. In 2019 this was 356 LPCD which was very close to the target! To learn more about the City of Calgary’s water efficiency please visit: https://www.calgary.ca/uep/water/water-conservation/save-water-save-money.html
Water conservation and being water efficient has many benefits for your home, community and the environment. By following a few tips, you can save on your water bill, contribute to a sustainable community and keep the environment healthy.
The Green Initiatives Committee has some at-home water efficiency challenges for you to try out for July.
Challenge 1: Audit your water bills! As mentioned above, check your water usage on your utility bill and see how it compares to the city average. Try out some simple tips to reduce water usage around the house. Some suggestions include only running full loads of washing machines or dishwashers, turning off the water when brushing your teeth, keeping showers short and filling your bathtub halfway. If you want to go an extra step, install low-flow showerheads and toilets.
Challenge 2: Check for leaky toilets, faucets and garden hoses around the home. It is a good idea to check every 6 months as leaks can happen out of the blue and sometimes you might not even realize it. You can use the food colouring trick to check leaks in your toilet. The sooner you can repair the leaks, the better.
Challenge 3: Install a rain barrel and use it! Rain barrels are there to collect rainwater that you use as a source of water for your yard. Just remember that water from rain barrels is not potable as the quality can be unpredictable. Rain barrels are available to purchase from a variety of sources with Green Calgary (https://www.greencalgary.org/name-it/rain-barrels-accessories ) being one of them!
Challenge 4: Create a water-mindful garden! Keep water efficiency and conservation in mind when planning out your garden. Plant drought-tolerant flowers and consider ways you can reduce your water use for the next season. Some drought-tolerant flowers that you can plant are false sunflower, gas plant, Iceland poppy, sea lavender and yucca.
Remember, even just trying out one challenge can make a big difference this summer. And then who knows, it might even just be so easy it becomes a regular part of everyday life!
If you want to get involved and be a part of making Mount Pleasant a greener community, we would love to have you join the committee. Please email green@mpca.ca for more information or if you have any questions. As well, please check out our Mount Pleasant Green Initiatives Group on Facebook! You can find us on the Mount Pleasant Community Association page. The Facebook group is a great place to share your completed challenges and check in to see what others are doing.
Have a great month,
The MPCA Green Initiatives Committee
