Due to overwhelming demand, an additional round of free Tap by Tap water and energy saving kits will be distributed to Penticton residents on a first-come first-served basis at Penticton Farmers’ Market on Saturday.
“We were blown away by the number of people asking for energy saving kits. We gave away 300 kits in 3.5 hours,” said Carolyn Stewart, Penticton’s environmental co-ordinator, whose department handed out kits last weekend. “We likely caught the early adopters in our first round, so we’re hoping the second round will help even more residents save money.”
Tap by Tap provides free, easy-to-install faucet fixtures to help residents across British Columbia save water, energy and money. Fixtures are distributed through local municipal channels, multi-unit residential property managers and utility companies.
Tap by Tap Okanagan-Similkameen is sponsored by FortisBC. Participating communities include Kelowna, Keremeos, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, Princeton and Summerland.
An additional 300 kits will be distributed on Saturday. Each kit includes one water-saving showerhead, aerators for kitchen and bathroom taps as well as a FortisBC waterproof shower timer to encourage people to take shorter showers.
There is no catch to the free water and energy saving kits, as the program is funded by Environment Canada, Fortis BC, City Green Solutions, Okanagan WaterWise and supported by the City of Penticton.
Stewart added that the second round of free kits is a great way to kick off Drinking Water Week, which has been proclaimed in the city for May 13 to 18.
The city is helping promote several contests, challenges and information campaigns via the website. For information, visit www.penticton.ca and roll over the brown “Departments” tab to open the drop-down menu. Click on “Water Treatment” and then click on “Drinking Water Week” in the left-hand column.