How we use our water -pt 1

Being energy conscious while living in a condo is pretty difficult; you can't turn off a light in the hallway even though there are 30 more burning away, and you can't stop the automatic irrigation system from watering the lawn on a rainy day. Moving into a house, for me, meant I couldn't blame unmotivated neighbours or an uncooperative condo board if my home was using too much of anything.
Apart from switching most light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent, our first resource to tackle was our water consumption. As with electricity, consuming less water is both healthier and cheaper. Our energy provider, St. Thomas Energy Inc., charges us $0.75 per cubic litre of water brought in, and collects $1.28 per cubic litre on behalf of the City to remove it all again.
We installed rain barrels under each of our two downspouts, to collect rainwater for use on our garden. We also installed what Robin nicknamed "our house dialysis"; a third barrel situated under our kitchen window into which, through a simple funnel and some clear tubing, we were able to collect our greywater. Into the barrel went the water used to rinse clean dishes and veggies, water from the dehumidifier and the water from the second rinse cycle of our new fancy-smancy front loading clothes washer. I admit, it was not a perfect system and it certainly lacked "curb appeal", but it was surprising to see how quickly this barrel filled. As this water was slightly soapy (smelling abit of Mrs. Meyers Geranium dish soap), we used it primarily for watering our shrubs and trees during the drought periods, as a little soap can actually help roots absorb water (thanks Dave!). These efforts resulted in a reduction of the amount of fresh, clean water brought into our house, and a considerable reduction in the amount of water being removed!
Although I'm very pleased with our reduced consumption (from 16 cubic litres in June, peaking at 20 in August/September, we've leveled off at 13) I'm a bit disappointed with the way in which we're billed; apparently, the City does not meter the "real" amount of water leaving your property and therefore just charges for the same amount as what came in. Of course, all three rain barrels are stored in our basement for the winter, so much of our conservation efforts will have to hibernate for a few months. This will give me some time to contact our Public Works department to work on a compromise between their current billing system, and one which has some basis in reality.

Hmmm ... I probably won't say it like that to them.