Residents of Laval who want to do something meaningful for the environment now have a good reason to celebrate! The City of Laval is expanding its subsidy program

by offering new postal rebates to ecologically-minded buyers. Starting this spring, Laval property owners will be able to obtain a municipal subsidy of $30 to buy a home composter, or $50 for a rainwater recycling barrel.

Rising eco-awareness
These new subsidies are in addition to a subsidy created last year to replace standard toilets with more efficient models that use six litres or less. The program proved itself to be very popular with Laval property owners. “Last year, the City of Laval was the first big city in Quebec to have implemented a subsidy program to encourage its citizens to save drinking water,” said Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt. “More and more Laval residents are making decisions based on the environmental impact of their actions. With the implementation of two new subsidy programs, we are showing that the environment is a constant preoccupation for the whole community, which bodes well for the future.”

Benefits without precedent
A rainwater recycling barrel allows for a reduction in the consumption of drinking water during the summer season. Often equipped with a faucet, it allows gardens to be watered without excessive waste of water. When it is known that consumption of water doubles during the summer season, mostly because of lawns and gardens, it becomes more than a little interesting to get one. As for the home composter, it has several advantages. The compost it produces improves the soil by encouraging the growth of vegetables. It also allows for a reduction in the volume of garbage by disposing of organic waste in a way that is ecological.

A popular subsidy program!
With the popularity of the subsidy program implemented last year for the replacement of standard toilets by ones using six litres of water or less, the City of Laval decided to repeat this discount as an incentive. This subsidy allows Laval property owners to get back as much as $75 on their purchase.
Since the beginning of this subsidy, the City has received more than 1,350 requests, which has made possible an economy in the amount of drinking water consumed of about 25 million litres annually. It is truly a first step towards encouraging citizens to save drinking water, since the installation of each low-water usage toilet allows up to 50 litres to be saved daily. To apply for a rebate from either subsidy program, citizens can obtain folders on the City of Laval’s Internet web site, www.ville.laval.qc.ca (under the link “Environment”).