Water & Water Conservation Information

Alectra Utilities invoices water and waste water charges on behalf of the municipalities of Markham and Vaughan.

If you are a customer from these municipalities and you are looking for information regarding your water bill, contact Alectra Utilities Customer Service at 1-877-963-6900.

If you are experiencing a technical issue with your water meter or a water-related emergency, please contact your municipality:

Aurora	905-727-3123 ext. 4113
Barrie	705-797-5340
Bradford West Gwillimbury	905-778-2055
Essa	1-800-775-7712
Markham	905-475-4862
New Tecumseth	905-729-1260
Penetanguishene	705-549-7992
Richmond Hill	905-771-8949
Vaughan	905-832-8562

How to Detect a Water Leak:

Leaks can be extremely wasteful and very costly. Regularly checking taps, pipes and fittings around your property could save water and money. Some leaks are difficult to detect.

To detect a water leak follow this procedure:

At the end of your day, ensure that no water is being used in your house (washing machines, dishwashers, sprinklers or toilets being flushed) and record the number on your water meter.
Do not use any water overnight. (Do not flush toilets).
First thing in the morning, check the number on your water meter.
If the number has changed then you have a water leak somewhere inside or outside of your house.

To detect a toilet leak follow this procedure:

Toilet leaks may be easy to repair, but detecting them is a great challenge, especially when they are completely silent. The first indication of a water leak is an increase in your water consumption. Here is a very quick and easy method to detect a toilet leak.

Remove the tank lid of the toilet.
Drop about 5 drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If you do not have food colouring try using Worcestershire sauce or any very dark liquid.
Replace the toilet lid and wait 30 minutes.
Survey the toilet bowl, if the water is clear then there is no leak in your toilet. If the water has changed colour, there is a leak present.
Repeat the process with all toilets in the house.

Typical Water Usage Chart:

Usage	Quantity
Toilets	13-20 Litres per flush
Toilets - low flow	6 Litres per flush
Top loading washing machine	175 Litres per load
Front loading washing machine	124 Litres per load
Older shower heads	Up to 30 Litres per minute
Shower - low flow shower head	9.5 Liters per minute
Dishwasher - older models	36-63 Litres per load
Dishwasher - new models	31-45 Litres per load
Watering lawn	35 Litres per minute per sprinkler head
Brushing teeth	18 Litres per brushing
Washing a car with running hose	400 Litres
Washing a car with a hose nozzle and bucket	100 Litres
Outdoor faucets	22 Litres per minute

Municipal Public Works Links:

Visit these municipal links to information about water conservation, how to read your water meter, monitoring and calculating your water use, plus more:

Water Conservation:

For information on water conservation, visit York Region's Water for Tomorrow website.
Convert your water consumption from metric to imperial measure, or vice versa, use the following: 1000 gallons equals 4.546 cubic meters. One cubic meter equals 219.9688 gallons.