Through the use of water rate structures, public education, encouragement of recycling and participation in the REACT regional waste management authority, the City of Humboldt and its residents are contributing to environmental protection and preservation. The City encourages its residents to use our water resources wisely, both to minimize their cost of water, and to ensure that water supplies are available for future generations. Plus, there are so many additional ways we can work together to help protect our environment.
City Action
Water Use
The City of Humboldt has adopted a rate structure designed to reflect the actual cost of delivering water and sewer service to residential and commercial users. The rate structure sets a base rate for all users and individual users also pay a consumption charge for each litre of water used. By creating a direct relationship between consumption and cost it is hoped that users will be diligent in their manner of water use. The rates are set to provide enough revenue to adequately address future capital upgrades. These ongoing upgrades will ensure safety and limit water loss throughout the distribution system. The City of Humboldt recognizes the importance of water management to the future of our community and our residents. Waste Management
Compost Rebate
The City will reimburse residents $30.00 towards the purchase of a composting bin. Residents will be allowed one bin per residence. The composting bin must be purchased from a business within the City of Humboldt. Businesses in Humboldt that sell composting bins will be provided a coupon to be completed. In order to receive a rebate, an individual must provide a receipt for the compost bin and completed coupon. Once the information has been received, a cheque is issued within 30 days. Solid Waste Management
Waste management for the City of Humboldt is the responsibility of the Regional Authority of Carlton Trail (REACT). Chosen as a pilot project, REACT came into operation in 1997. With the participation of 30 urban and 16 rural municipalities in the area, REACT waste management in the Humboldt area is truly a regional development with the following accomplishments: - REACT operations consist of two provincially-regulated sanitary landfills and 17 transfer stations
- Recycling centers have been set up in three communities in the Humboldt region
- The guiding principle of REACT is to divert as much waste from disposal in the landfills
- REACT has one of the most comprehensive recycling programs in western Canada
- Recycling opportunities for commercial and residential stakeholders allows REACT to achieve a 55 per cent waste reduction (200 tonnes of recyclable material per month are processed and diverted away from the landfill)
- REACT has been used as a model for regional waste management throughout the province of Saskatchewan
How You Can Help
Here are a few helpful tips to help protect our environment.
As a resident, you can... - Become informed about water conservation
- Support water conservation projects in your community
- Properly dispose of hazardous material (paint, motor oil, pesticides)
- Become informed about your City's water management practices
- Educate others
In your kitchen, you can... - Select one glass to use for drinking each day. By doing this, your dishwasher will take longer to fill up and will not be run as frequently
- Let your pots and pans soak instead of letting the water run while you clean them.
- Place a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of letting the tap run to get a cool drink
- Experiment with your dishwasher to determine which cycle best meets your needs
- Make sure your refrigerator and freezer door seals are airtight
- Don't keep that old, inefficient fridge running 24/7 in the garage for those few occasions when it is needed
In your bathroom, you can... - Switch to an ultra-low flow showerhead. This will save almost 2.5 gallons a minute during a shower ($91 a year in savings)
- Install ultra-low flow toilets. This will save nearly 1.3 gallons per flush ($40 a year in savings)
- Turn the faucet off while you shave, brush your teeth or lather your hands
In your laundry room, you can... - Wash clothes in warm or cold water, rinse in cold. Use hot water only if necessary
- Fill washers but do not overload them
- Don't use too much detergent, as it makes your machine work harder and uses more energy
- Use the cool down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the leftover heat in the dryer
In your home, you can... - Perform semi-annual household water maintenance checks. Look for leaky faucets, toilets and pipes
- Turn off faucets completely after use
- Turn lights out when leaving a room
- Turn off your computer when it is not in use
- Use light coloured curtains or blinds to reflect sun and heat outward
- Install an automatic programmable thermostat
- Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use four times less energy than incandescent ones
In your yard, you can... - Avoid watering your lawn during the hottest hours of the day (10 am to 6 pm) to minimize evaporation
- Check sprinkler system for leaks
- Try to add more days between watering. Allowing your lawn to dry out between watering creates deeper roots and allows you to water deeper and less often
- A vehicle needs to be plugged in for only 4 hours in order to warm the engine block to its maximum temperature. Consider using an outdoor timer
- A 'Power Saver' cord only allows electricity use when the engine block heater drops below -7 C (19 F)
- Motion detectors (for outdoor lights) turn on only when needed
At work, you can... - Bring your own mug and cut down on Stryrofoam waste
- Pack a lunch in reusable containers/bags
- Use hand dryers rather than paper towels
- Don't print your e-mails - save paper and keep them filed on your computer
- Photocopy double sided
- Put a recycle box beside the photocopier
- Instead of printing a web page, bookmark or save it
- Shut down your computer every time you are away from your desk for more than a couple of hours
Good for Humboldt, good for our environment! |
