PEI Municipalities Partner to Promote Fix a Leak Week

Todd Westcott
March 6, 2018

Prince Edward Island’s City of Charlottetown, Town of Stratford and Town of Cornwall have partnered to promote Fix a Leak Week, which encourages the public to find and repair leaks in their homes or businesses to help conserve water.

Fix a Leak Week, which was originally initiated by the US Environmental Protective Agency as part of their WaterSense initiative, will take place March 19th to 25th. The week is designed to educate the public about the large quantity of water lost each year due to leaks in homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

Leading up to Fix a Leak Week, the three municipalities are running a social media contest, asking residents to post a photo or video of themselves or their family fixing a leak in their home. By using hashtag #IFixedALeak, participants are automatically entered for a chance to win a low-flow toilet. Each year, leaks can account for about 37,850 litres of water wasted in a residential home.

The Fix a Leak Week promotion is in addition to programs already run by the municipalities. Charlottetown offers residents replacement toilet flappers, faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, and water conservation kits.

Each May, Stratford, in partnership with the Stratford Area Watershed Improvement Group, teaches water conservation and watershed education to grade 5 students from multiple schools in the region. The Town continues to support the work of the watershed group and encourages residents to participate in the Showerhead Exchange Program.

Cornwall offers a toilet rebate of $75 for replacement of high flush volume toilet.

The provincial Low Income Financial and Technical (LIFT) program provides residents with the opportunity to have a residential water audit completed free of charge. The audit will help the homeowner find any leaks and will also determine if they qualify for a voucher for a low-flow toilet replacement. The program also includes the installation of in-home water saving devices, such as: a low-flow showerhead and a low-flow aerator for bathroom sinks.