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The Water Efficient Technology (WET) program provides support and funding for companies in commercial, industrial and institutional sectors. We can help your business reduce water use by:
- assessing consumption with a water use review
- finding potential water leaks so they can be repaired
- recommending upgrades and/or servicing of inefficient water-using fixtures, equipment and processes
- providing resources to encourage water-saving behaviours from employees
Funding and programs to reduce water use
Water balance audits or consulting
Fifty per cent cost-share funding is available for facility water balance audits or consulting fees for water process analysis or water sub-metering installations in manufacturing plants, apartment buildings, condominiums, commercial strip malls and other commercial businesses up to a maximum of $10,000.
Installing sub-meters to track water loss
Any property using water for different purposes can benefit from installing sub-meters. In multi-unit buildings, sub-metering divides water costs fairly between each tenant. High water users would then be billed for what they actually use. Shut off technology is also available to prevent damage in case of plumbing failure.
Collecting water use data from sub-meters can help your business:
- Find and fix costly water leaks
- Find and target water wasting areas/processes
- Design a plan using real data that saves water and money
Water-saving projects
We provide funding based on how much water your project(s) saved and project costs.
Apply for funding
How our funding and resources help businesses
Local businesses implemented the following projects with help from WET program funding. Timing for payback was reached with a combination of water savings incentives and program funding.
Water sub-metering projects
| Installing sub-meters |
| Property management company, Waterloo Living Inc. completed a sub-metering project in three of their student residence buildings. Sub-meters were installed in 111 units (accommodating 555 students). They saved 8,773 cubic metres of water and $40,700 in water costs in the first year (2019 rates). The project paid for itself in two years. |
| Upgrading water purification system and installing sub-meters |
| Veterinary pharmaceuticals manufacturer, Bimeda MTC, made upgrades to their water purification system. They also installed flow loggers to track water and wastewater use at their facility. They saved 965 cubic metres of water and $62,395 in the first year (2023 rates). The project will pay for for itself in 93 years. |
| Auditing water use and detecting leaks |
| The City of Kitchener installed 32 water flow monitors at city facilities. This helps to detect leaks and provide automatic alerts. They also audited eight splash pads and installed water efficiency upgrades. WET program funding paid for 50 per cent of the project cost. |
Water-saving projects
| Changing plumbing to reuse process water |
| Carlsberg Canada (then Waterloo Brewing) made a plumbing change to use process water from the bottle washing system. They reuse this water to cool down hot boiler blowdown water using a tank and pump. They saved 950 cubic metres of water and $150,000 in water costs in the first year (2018 rates). The project paid for itself in three months. |
| Installing a reverse osmosis water recovery system |
| Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) designed and installed a Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Recovery System. The RO System recovers 50 per cent of the company's rejected concentrate water. They saved 36,000 cubic metres of water and $76,680 in water costs in the first year (2009 rates). The project paid for itself in one year. |
| Installing a water recovery system and repairing leaks |
| Valet Car Wash in Kitchener installed a water recovery system and repaired leaks. The changes reduced the average water use per vehicle by almost 50 per cent, from 253 litres to 129 litres. They saved 8,096 cubic metres of water and $30,000 in water costs in the first year (2016 rates). The project paid for itself in two years. |
| Constructing a stormwater pond |
| Chicopee Tube Park constructed a stormwater pond. The pond captures rainwater for snow making instead of paying for municipal water. They saved 14,197 cubic metres of water and $55,000 in the first year (2014 rates) and reduced their water bill by 56 per cent. The project paid for itself in five years. |
| Installing a stormwater collection system |
| At City of Waterloo RIM Park, installed a stormwater collection system under a playing field. A sump directs the captured water to an irrigation system for watering fields. Excess water goes to a stormwater pond. They saved 3,905 cubic metres of water and $11,000 in the first year. The project paid for itself in five years. |
| Auditing water use and upgrading fixtures |
| Waterloo Region Health Network @ Queen's Blvd (then St. Mary's General Hospital) completed a full utility audit. This led to replacing over 500 fixtures, including toilets, urinals and tap aerators. They saved 18,229 cubic metres of water and $104,817 in the first year (2018 rates). The project paid for itself in five years. |
| Auditing water and energy use and upgrading fixtures |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) audited energy and water use for all its properties. WLU then replaced all water fixtures in 22 buildings with water-efficient models. They saved 21,572 cubic metres of water and $85,861 in the first year. The project will pay for itself in 16 years. |
| Upgrading a cooling tower |
| The City of Kitchener upgraded City Hall's cooling tower to a model that conserves more water. They saved 2,811 cubic metres of water and $14,505 in the first year (2018 rates). The project will pay for itself in 25 years. |
Water Smart Business Certification
Businesses and employees who participate in the Water Smart Business certification will better understand their water use, our sources of water and our role in protecting and conserving our water supply. The program is also intended to provide businesses with:
Inquire about your business becoming Water Smart Certified
Businesses can achieve certification by completing at least five activities from the lists below. One activity from each category is required.
- Complete at least five activities to be certified a Water Smart Business for three years.
- Complete 10 or more activities to be certified a Water Smart Business for five years.
Water efficiency
- Book a historical water use review
- Request a water bill analysis
- Have a water balance audit at your facility
- Achieve proven water savings
- Install water-efficient fixtures (taps, toilets, showerheads, etc)
- Verify that your irrigation systems operate according to the Water Conservation By-Law
- Install water efficiency signage
- Harvest rainwater with a barrel, cistern or rain garden
Water protection
Water education
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Offer employee education and awareness training
- Host a Region of Waterloo-led presentation
- Install 3Ps signage in washrooms
| Water Efficient Certified restaurants |
- Beertown (Cambridge)
- Borealis Grille & Bar
- Boston Pizza (King St. N., Waterloo)
- Boston Pizza (Erb St., Waterloo)
- Charcoal Steakhouse
- Chicopee Tube Park
- Chill Bar & Grill
- East Side Mario’s (King St. Waterloo)
- Edelweiss Tavern
- Fionn MacCool's (King St. E., Kitchener)
- Golf’s Steak House & Seafood
- Kypreos Restaurant
- Marble Slab Creamery (Fischer-Hallman Dr., Kitchener)
- Nith River Chop House
- Proof Kitchen and Lounge
- Subway (Highland Rd., Kitchener)
- Subway (Jamieson Pkwy., Cambridge)
- Subway (Baden, Wilmot Township)
- Swiss Chalet (Fairway Rd., Kitchener)
- The Keg (Cambridge)
- Tim Horton’s (Holiday Inn Dr. Cambridge)
- Tim Horton's (University Ave., Waterloo)
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| Water Smart Certified businesses |
- Axis Meter Solutions
- Cambridge Non-Profit Housing
- CCC Sulphur Products (Sulco)
- Centurion Property Associates Inc. (Toronto)
- Chicopee Tube Park
- City of Cambridge
- City of Kitchener
- City of Waterloo
- Clean Cut Energy (Multi-residential properties in Waterloo Region)
- Enviro-Stewards Inc.
- Frito Lay - Pepsico Canada
- Grand River Foods (Cambridge)
- Grand River/Freeport Hospitals
- Gerdau Steel
- Killam Apartment REIT
- Kuntz Electroplating
- Lee Management Solutions Inc.
- Medi-Terra Properties (River Park Village, Cambridge)
- Novocol Pharma (A Septodont Company)
- Onyx Energy (Kitchener)
- Piller's Fine Foods (Waterloo)
- Plasti-Fab Ltd
- WRHN @ Queen’s Blvd. (formerly St. Mary's General Hospital)
- Starlight Investments
- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company (Cambridge)
- Valet Car Wash
- Victoria Park Community Homes (Hamilton)
- Carlsberg Canada (formerly Waterloo Brewing)
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB)
- Water Control Management
- Waterloo Living Inc.
- WSCC #473
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Water Efficiency Excellence Award
Each year the Region of Waterloo recognizes businesses that complete exemplary water projects. Congratulations to past recipients of the Water Efficiency Excellence Award.
Resources
Free water-efficient fixtures
We provide businesses in Waterloo Region with free water-saving fixtures. This can help cut costs and conserve water.
| Dual thread aerator (chrome) |
- Flow rate: 3.79 litres per minute/1.0 gallons per minute
- Saves 54 per cent more water than a standard 8.3 litres per minute/2.2 gallons per minute aerator.
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| Dual spray kitchen aerator with swivel |
- Flow rate: 5.7 litres per minute/1.5 gallons per minute
- Saves 31 per cent more water than a standard 8.3 litres per minute/2.2 gallons per minute aerator.
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| Earth showerhead (chrome) |
- Flow rate: 5.7 litres per minute/1.5 gallons per minute
- Saves 40 per cent more water than a standard 9.5 litres per minute/2.5 gallons per minute showerhead.
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| Commercial pre-rinse spray valves |
- Flow rate: 2.6 litres per minute/0.68 gallons per minute
- Saves 46 per cent more water than a standard 4.85 litres per minute/1.28 gallons per minute pre-rinse spray valve.
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Washroom signage
Request stickers to help inform employees to only flush pee, poo and toilet paper. This helps prevent blockages and damage to plumbing and sewer systems.
Questions? Email watercycle@regionofwaterloo.ca
