[maverickstruth]

I used to work for the City in their Utilities and Environmental Protection (UEP) department -- specifically with the folks in communications for Water Services and Water Resources.

Suffice it to say, water shortages are a massive (and growing) concern for the City. The problem is multi-fold. A lot of water is wasted, and unless you want to be piping it in from all over the place, there is only a limited amount of water that comes into the city (via rain, the rivers, etc.). We also have a real impact on those downstream from us -- the more water we use, the less that's available for everyone else. While it does eventually all get back to the rivers, it takes time.

Then there's the problem of what you do with the water once it's been used. The water from your taps, toilets, etc. goes into the sewer system and then to the wastewater treatment plants, and they aren't cheap to run. As usage grows, so does the need to treat all that water. There is limited capacity to treat the water, and this has been a big issue in the past -- new treatment facilities help, but they only have limited capacity.

The water that runs off into storm drains (for example, when you wash your car) goes into the storm drain system, and straight back into the river. So yes, all that detergent you use when washing your car heads downstream, and can have a serious effect on populations downstream. For example, farm land that draws from the water (over- and underground) also soaks up your crud. Talk about imbalancing soil chemistry. I believe that it is actually against a city bylaw to allow detergent, etc. to run into the storm drains for this very reason. I could be remembering incorrectly, though.

In fact, if I remember correctly, the potential of water shortages is one of the City's major concerns going forward. They're working toward a major push for reduction -- both at the government level, and at trying to give citizens a nudge in the right direction. That's why you see things like the "fill a frisbee" advertising campaigns, the leaky toilet campaign, the low-flow toilet rebate, the rain barrel program, etc.

Anyway, that's what I have to contribute. I only worked for UEP for a few months and it was a while ago so I've forgotten a lot, but it certainly had an impact on how I viewed things like "wasted water".