Water is one of the fastest-rising operating costs in Toronto buildings, and older plumbing fixtures waste much of it. Replacing them with high-efficiency models is one of the simplest ways to cut consumption, and the City of Toronto offers programs that help owners pay for water-saving upgrades. Kontrol Buildings delivers these retrofits across the Greater Toronto Area.
Why does water efficiency matter for Toronto buildings?
The City of Toronto's 2026 water rate is about $4.86 per cubic metre. In a multi-residential building, hundreds of suites use water every day, so small inefficiencies at each fixture add up quickly. The City estimates that cutting water use by 10,000 litres a day saves about $17,750 a year on water bills. Leaks and running toilets make the problem worse because they often go unnoticed.
How much water do high-efficiency fixtures save?
Toilets are the biggest opportunity. According to the U.S. EPA WaterSense program, toilets account for nearly 30 percent of indoor water use in an average home. Older toilets can use as much as 6 gallons (about 23 litres) per flush, while WaterSense-labelled models use 1.28 gallons (about 4.8 litres) or less. Replacing older toilets can cut toilet water use by 20 to 60 percent, saving nearly 13,000 gallons (about 49,000 litres) a year for an average home. Low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators and prompt leak repair add further savings.
How is the City of Toronto supporting water retrofits?
Hi-RIS (High-rise Retrofit Improvement Support): low-cost financing for apartment buildings at least 20 years old, for improvements that reduce energy and water use, including low-flow and ultra-low-flow toilets. Owners can finance up to 10 percent of the property's assessed value or $2.5 million per building, with 0 percent interest during construction and repayment through property taxes over 5 to 20 years.
Capacity Buy-Back Program: a free water audit and a one-time rebate of up to $0.30 per litre saved per average day for commercial, institutional and industrial equipment such as cooling towers, boilers and process systems.
What does a plumbing retrofit involve?
A typical project starts with a review of fixtures and water use. The team then replaces toilets, showerheads and aerators suite by suite with minimal disruption, repairs leaks and checks valves and domestic hot water systems. Preventive maintenance keeps the savings in place over time.
How does real-time water monitoring help?
Fixture upgrades reduce how much water a building uses. Monitoring shows where and when it is used. Connected water meters at the building level record consumption continuously, rather than once per billing cycle. That makes it possible to spot unusual overnight flow that signals a leak or running toilet, compare use across buildings or risers, and confirm that retrofit savings are holding. Real-time alerts let staff respond within hours instead of finding the problem on the next water bill. Kontrol Buildings' energy management platform applies the same approach, using connected meters and analytics to turn real-time data into clear actions.
How is Kontrol Buildings helping?
Kontrol Buildings' commercial plumbing division provides service, repair, preventive maintenance and modernization, with the same 24/7 dispatch it offers HVAC clients in more than 400 buildings. In 2026, Kontrol Buildings was selected to deliver water conservation retrofits in hundreds of multi-residential suites across the GTA, installing lower-flow fixtures and conservation devices. Clients get one contact for HVAC, controls, plumbing and backflow testing.
Key takeaways
Older toilets and fixtures are one of the largest sources of avoidable water use in Toronto buildings.
High-efficiency toilets can cut toilet water use by 20 to 60 percent, and building-level water monitoring catches leaks early and verifies the savings.
City of Toronto programs such as Hi-RIS and the Capacity Buy-Back Program help offset retrofit costs.
To plan a water-efficiency retrofit, contact Kontrol Buildings.