The community and identified stakeholders were invited to provide their feedback through numerous surveys and individual meetings. The City used the following engagement methods:

Closing the Loop Public Survey - Spring 2021

Both residents and industry stakeholders were invited to provide feedback on the changes made to the Strategy and recommended programs. Further details on the input received through the survey can be found in the Phase 3: What We Heard Report.

Online Public and Industry Surveys - Winter 2021

Two surveys were conducted in winter 2020 to receive feedback and prioritize the proposed initiatives in the Water Conservation Strategy. The results from the surveys will help finalize the proposed initiatives and identify any additional opportunities for the program. Further details on the input received through the surveys can be found in the following Phase 2: What We Heard Report.

Stakeholder Interviews - Spring 2020

Interviews with stakeholders were held in spring 2020 to identify the benefits and potential impacts of water conservation initiatives. Stakeholders included representatives from businesses/business groups, environmental organizations, and industry professionals.

Common themes from these interviews, as well as other items discussed during these interviews, helped inform the draft initiatives being presented in the current phase of engagement.  Further detail on the input received through the stakeholder interviews is available in the Phase 1: What We Heard Report.

Engagement for this project has closed, but you can still contact the project team using the following information:

There are many reasons to conserve water, but four stand out:

1. Help households and business moderate their water use.
2. The pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Increase water system resiliency and prepare for a changing climate.
4. Help manage water demand to ease the strain on the City’s water system.

Saskatoon residents, businesses, and institutions use about 40 billion litres of water each year—an average of 1,300 litres per second.  Treating and pumping that much water requires a lot of energy and that creates a lot of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  Water conservation can help us meet our emission reduction targets.

Conservation can also reduce costs for water consumers.  Households that participate in conservation programs or take other steps to use less water will pay for less water.  And by reducing demands on the City’s water infrastructure, conservation creates the potential to better manage—and in some cases defer or avoid—costly expansion projects.

Cities across Canada have recognized the benefits of conserving water and many have been implementing successful programs.  Here are some examples the City is currently exploring regarding how residents, businesses, and the City could save water:

• Incentive programs to replace inefficient toilets and shower heads; an efficient toilet can save 450,000 litres over 20 years;
• Find and repair leaks in our homes and businesses; up to 13% of water in homes and 6% in businesses may be lost to leaks;
• Fix leaks in underground distribution systems; the City is testing new ways to find leaks;  
• Help businesses understand water use and reduce demand through site visits, assessments, and equipment-replacement incentives;  
• Water lawns and gardens more efficiently; and
• Keep parks healthy using less water; advanced irrigation control systems and weather monitoring technologies may be able to keep grass and trees healthy with less water.  

If we move ahead with the Water Conservation Strategy, the following costs will need to be considered:

• The City will have costs for programs and incentives 
• Households might have costs for water saving fixtures or appliances, such as toilets, washing machines, or shower heads
• Our utility, Saskatoon Water, will see reduced revenue as people save water