Business Programs and Funding

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The Water Efficient Technology (WET) program provides commercial, industrial and institutional-sector companies with resources and funding to reduce water use.

Do you have questions about the WET Program? Get in touch with us at watercycle@regionofwaterloo.ca

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Funding and programs to reduce water use

Apply to cost-share funding for water balance audits or consulting

50% 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

Track water loss and save money with sub-metering

Sub-metering can help many types of organizations.

Collecting data on your water use can help your business:

  • Find and fix costly water leaks
  • Find and target water wasting areas
  • Design a plan using real data that saves water and money

Any property that uses water for different purposes can benefit from installing sub-meters.

  • Water use can vary in strip malls and multi-unit apartment 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.

  • Businesses can spot whether water waste is from indoor or outdoor use.

Apply for funding for eligible water-saving projects

Find out if your business qualifies for funding. We provide funding based on how much water your project(s) saved and project costs.

There is funding available to help pay for:

  • water audits
  • consulting fees
  • qualifying water-saving projects

Apply for funding

Call 519-575-4400

Upgrade to 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 (LPM)/1.0 gallon per minute (GPM)
  • Saves 54 per cent more water than a standard 8.3 LPM/2.2 GPM aerator.

Dual spray kitchen aerator with swivel

  • Flow rate: 5.7 LPM/1.5 GPM
  • Saves 31 per cent more water than a standard 8.3 LPM/2.2 GPM aerator.

Earth showerhead (chrome)

  • Flow rate: 5.7 LPM/1.5 GPM
  • Saves 40 per cent more water than a standard 9.5 LPM/2.5 GPM showerhead.

Commercial pre-rinse spray valves

  • Flow rate: 2.6 LPM/0.68 GPM
  • Saves 46 per cent more water than a standard 4.85 LPM/1.28 GPM pre-rinse spray valve.

Contact us to learn more

Book a water-use review at no charge

Our staff will conduct an on-site review of your water use. We can help you create a plan that identifies actions to reduce water costs. We'll discuss your water needs, resources and funding available.

Request a water-use review

How our funding and resources help businesses

WET program funding helps businesses reduce water use and save money by:

  • understanding how they use water
  • finding and fixing water leaks
  • recommending upgrades and/or servicing of inefficient water-using fixtures, equipment and processes
  • encouraging water-saving behaviours from employees

Local businesses implemented the following projects with help from WET program funding. Timing for payback/return on investment (ROI) reached with water savings and funding.

Examples of sub-metering projects

Installing sub-meters

Property management company, Waterloo Living Inc. completed a sub-metering project in three of their student residence buildings. 111 units had sub-meters installed (accommodating 555 students).

Results: Saving 8,773 m3 of water and $40,700 in water costs in the first year (2019 rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 965 m3 of water and $62,395 in the first year (2023 rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Payback/ROI: WET program funding paid for 50 per cent of the project cost.

Examples of 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.

Results: Saving 950 m3 of water and $150,000 in water costs in the first year (2018 rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 36,000 m3 of water and $76,680 in water costs in the first year (2009 rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 8,096 m3 of water and $30,000 in water costs in the first year (2016 rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 14,197 m3 of water and $55,000 in the first year (2014 rates). They reduced their water bill by 56 per cent.

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 3,905 m3 of water and $11,000 in the first year (20?? rates).

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 18,229 m3 of water and $104,817 in the first year (2018 rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 21,572 m3 of water and $85,861 in the first year (20?? rates)

Payback/ROI: 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.

Results: Saving 2,811 m3 of water and $14,505 in the first year (2018 rates)

Payback/ROI: The project will pay for itself in 25 years

Resources

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. 

Bathroom stall sign indicating to only flush pee poo and toilet paper to prevent blocked pipes

Water Efficient Certification program

The Water Efficient Certification program recognizes businesses taking steps to reduce water use.

Restaurants - How to qualify

Collect five or more points by completing any of the following activities:

  • A water balance audit (3 points)
  • A free water-use review by Region staff (1 point)
  • Billing analysis (1 point)
  • Achieve proven water savings (3 points)
  • Employee education and awareness training (2 points)

Examples of what your restaurant can do to certify 

  • Complete energy and water audits
  • Replace or install water efficient fixtures
  • Install hands-free faucets
  • Schedule plumbing maintenance to fix leaks
  • Replace water-cooled refrigerators with air-cooled models
  • Service or plan to replace water softening systems
  • Install sub-metering to separate restaurant from parent business, for example, a hotel
  • Maintain outdoor irrigation systems, including pop-up sprinklers

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)

Other businesses - How to qualify

Contact the Region of Waterloo for information on becoming a Water Efficient Certified business.

Water Efficient 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

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.

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