Over 95% of Ontario’s population lives and takes its water from the Great Lakes Basin, which can put an enormous strain on our water resources. Issues such as land use, drought, urbanization, and climate change can all cause deterioration of our water supplies. We all need to manage our water usage to ensure a plentiful supply for future generations.
Two terms frequently mentioned when discussing water use include withdrawal and consumption:
Water withdrawals refer to the amount of water removed from a source to perform a specific duty, i.e. through a well for domestic purposes, or for the irrigation of a crop.
Water consumption is the portion of water incorporated into a product such as canning of fruit, or lost through natural processes such as evaporation.
In 2004, Canadians were ranked one of the largest users of water in the world, using 343 litres of water per day. This is roughly double the usage of water by residential users in Europe (Environment Canada, 2004).
Water is critical for drinking and other domestic water uses, but is also essential for industry, agriculture, power production, navigation and recreation.
The most current information regarding water use in Ontario is from 2000. This information is collected as a requirement under the Great Lakes Charter.
In 2000, Ontario’s withdrawals totalled 766 billion litres per day. Of this total:
- 94% was Hydroelectric usage
- 5% was Nuclear plant usage (used in cooling processes)
- 1% represented all other categories, including municipal, irrigation, agriculture, domestic self supply and fossil fuel
Find out more about the Great Lakes Regional Water Use database
