notices from the region of waterloo

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Water Softner Facts Website Educates Homeowner on Soft Water

April 10, 2012

Waterloo Region - With the presence of hard water in Grand River Watershed communities, many local households choose to install a water softener.  

In an effort to educate residents in choosing the right softener for their home, the Region of Waterloo, in partnership with the City of Guelph, has launched a new website, www.watersoftenerfacts.ca. 

The site features the results of independent testing completed by the municipal partners to measure the efficiency of various water softeners in the marketplace, and provides residents with key items they should look for when choosing a softener, including the amount of salt and water consumed by softener type and yearly operating costs. 

"Selecting a home water softener can be an onerous task. To best support inquiries received from local residents, the Water Softener Facts website was developed as a consolidated information source on home softener technologies and their operation," says Wayne Galliher, the City of Guelph's water conservation project manager. "When a homeowner chooses a softener that uses less salt and water, they are helping to conserve and protect our precious water resources while lowering their household expenses at the same time." 

Steve Gombos, water efficiency manager with Waterloo Region, adds, "The softener testing we are conducting is unique to Canada and we feel it best informs residents with the proper information required to have their homes running as efficiently as possible." 

Visitors to the website, which will be updated regularly as new test results become available, can also reference water hardness maps of the region and city to learn the water hardness in their neighbourhood to ensure their softener is programmed correctly to increase its efficiency. In addition, the site provides access to a wealth of information about how softeners work, softener technology options, and other topics related to soft water. 

The Region and the City supply residents with some of the hardest water in Canada due to the groundwater sources. Studies have found that 72 per cent of households in Waterloo Region have water softeners, accounting for the consumption of 2.7 million cubic metres of regeneration water and 44,000 tonnes of salt each year.

For more information, please contact:

Wayne Galliher, City of Guelph Water Conservation Project Manager, 519-837-5627, x 2106

Steve Gombos, Manager, Water Efficiency, Region of Waterloo, 519-575-4503

Community environmental fund launch

The Region of Waterloo has launched a new Community Environmental Fund to assist community members to carry out a wide range of environmental projects! 

Building on the success of the Region's Environmental Stewardship Fund established in 2009, the new Community Environmental Fund will continue to provide financial assistance to stewardship projects in addition to more diverse initiatives that promote sustainability. The broader focus of the Community Environmental Fund demonstrates the Region's continuing commitment to protect and enhance our natural environment.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Reduce greenhouse gases, air pollutants, energy usage and/or waste;
• Conserve and enhance Regional ecologically significant natural features;
• Promote environmentally sustainable actions and behaviours; or       
• Research environmental issues important to the Region.

Overall, the new fund seeks to support projects with proposed goals to:

• Produce measurable and achievable benefits to the environment in Waterloo Region;
• Engage citizens and encourage collaboration;
• Stimulate sustainable behavioural changes in the community;
• Seek innovative solutions; and
• Attract matching funds from other funding organizations or in-kind contributions from partners.

The fund was established as a part of the Region of Waterloo's 2011-2014 Strategic Plan which is committed to providing "an integrated funding program to support community-based environmental initiatives." The Community Environmental Fund will help community partners to take even more proactive steps in building a sustainable Waterloo Region for current and future generations.

Click here for further information.

biosoils information available

The Region has updated the 2003 Biosolids Master Plan in light of recent growth in the Region, changes to the regulatory environment, climate change, and adoption of the Region's new Environmental Sustainability Strategy. The objectives of the Biosolids Master Plan Update were to help the Region assess the status of its biosolids treatment, management, and disposal facilities; and reconfirm or develop a preferred biosolids management strategy, to the year 2041, that is environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and that can be maintained over the long term. The Region of Waterloo has prepared the Master Plan following Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment.

Click the link for more.

http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutTheEnvironment/biosolidsmasterplan.asp

Lloyd Brown Water Distribution Extension Project
aUGUST 23RD, 2011

The Region of Waterloo is pursuing a second phase connection to the main water system distribution for Lloyd Brown Settlement. A financially impacting but optional project for all affected with the cost of the project re cooperated from those who choose to connect.  The Region is proposing a charges and fee bylaw to regulate the cost of connecting to the water mains for those affected in Lloyd Brown Settlement. The bylaw is to be presented as of October 5th, 2011 and a public meeting discussing the connections is being held on September 15, 2011 at the Roseville Community Centre at 6:00pm. For more information and Q&A please click here.

Notice of waterloo region planning and work committee meeting - south boundary road corridor and franklin boulevard extension, city of cambridge and township of north dumfries
January 31st, 2011

Notice from waterloo transportation planning - moving forward 2031 - regional transportation master plan
january 20th, 2011

Please see the attached notice for more information.

Region of Waterloo - Regional Transportation Master Plan 

NOTICE OF WATERLOO REGION PLANNING AND WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING - CAMBRIDGE SOUTH BOUNDARY ROAD CORRIDOR AND FRANKLIN BOULEVARD EXTENSION.
november 16th, 2010

The Region of Waterloo is undertaking a Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) study to consider proposed road improvements for construction of the South Boundary Road from Water Street (Highway 24) to Dundas Street (Highway 8), and Franklin Boulevard Extension from Myers Road to the South Boundary Road, in the City of Cambridge and Township of North Dumfries.

Region of Waterloo - Cambridge South Boundary Road Corridor and Franklin Boulevard Extension