Brampton - The Region of Peel has been awarded a 2008 Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)-CH2M Hill Sustainable Communities Award in the Water category for its Water Efficiency Plan.
Peel's Water Efficiency Plan was developed in response to the growing demand on the Region's water and wastewater treatment systems, and aims to reduce water consumption in Peel by 10 per cent by 2015. To date the Region has developed a number of programs to reduce water consumption, including:
• Toilet Replacement Program for both residents and business
• Peel Living Water Efficiency Retrofit Project
• Spray Valve Replacement Program
• Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Indoor Water Audit Program
• Outdoor Water Education programs
"On behalf of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, I want to congratulate the Region of Peel for winning a 2008 Sustainable Community Award in Water," says Winnipeg Councillor Gord Steeves, President of the FCM. "Along with winners in other categories, the Region of Peel's Water Efficiency Plan contributes to creative and practical solutions to some of the critical issues of the environment and sustainable development that governments all over the world face today."
Since its inception in 2004, the plan has saved over 1,600 megalitres of water and 1,400 megalitres of wastewater from being treated. This reduction in water and wastewater treatment has saved approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity, which is equivalent to 671 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
"This award is a testament to the environmental consciousness of residents and businesses in Peel, and this award shows that we're making an effort to conserve," says Elaine Moore, Brampton Regional Councillor and Chair of the Environment, Transportation and Planning Services Committee. "But our efforts won't stop here. I'm confident that we can continue to find new ways to reduce our consumption and collective carbon footprint."
For more information on water efficiency in Peel, visit www.watersmartpeel.ca.
The FCM and CH2M Hill have been recognizing municipal governments across Canada with Sustainable Community Awards for leadership in environmental excellence and innovation in service delivery since 2000.
The Regional Municipality of Peel was incorporated in 1974 on the principle that certain community and infrastructure services are most cost-effectively administered over a larger geographic area. The Region of Peel serves more than one million residents in the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton and the Town of Caledon.
For more information on the Region of Peel, please call 905-791-7800, or visit www.peelregion.ca.
The Region of Peel delivers a wide range of programs and services to more than one million citizens every day. This includes ambulance services, public health, long-term care, child care, waste collection, recycling and disposal, water and wastewater services, Regional road construction and maintenance, social assistance and affordable rental housing. Regional Headquarters are located at 10 Peel Centre Dr., Brampton, ON. Phone Number: 905-791-7800.