It's no secret that reducing water offers many benefits. Not only does it save you money by reducing your water and energy consumption, but it also protects your community's water supplies. Since energy is used to heat, treat and deliver water, you also save energy.
Did you know that the average American uses more than 300 gallons of water per day of water per month? Of that:
- 35% is used for showers and baths
- 30% is used for flushing the toilet
- 20% is used for laundry
- 10% is for the kitchen and drinking
- and 5% is used for cleaning.
We waste water in many ways...
1. Allowing the tap to run for 5 minutes, wastes 11 gallons of water. Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth, and don't rinse dishes under a running faucet - use a bowl or sink instead.
2. Older toilets use up to 5 gallons per flush, while a leaky toilet can waste between 5 to 10 gallons per hour.
3. Running the dishwasher or washing machine for small loads of wastes a lot of water too.
4. While sprinklers use around 250 gallons of water, up to 60% of that water will evaporate during the hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can save water by watering your gardens and lawns early in the morning or evening when it's cooler and less windy.
How High-Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures Can Help Save Water
Low-flow, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures aren't new to the market. In fact, we now get ultra-low-flow fixtures that save even more water while delivering the same level of performance. These fixtures are up to 20% more water-efficient than standard low-flow fixtures and WaterSense labeled products go through a strict verification process to ensure that they perform as well, or even better than other products.
When it comes to upgrading to high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, it is important to speak to your local plumber about the thresholds that are applicable, and the installation requirements.
Here's what you should consider when switching to water-saving fixtures:
High-Efficiency Toilets: Since the toilet is responsible for about a third of our water consumption, that would be the first place to make changes. If your toilets were installed before 1994, you will have to replace it with a newer high-efficiency, ultra-low-flow toilet, or the very best option - a dual-flush toilet. Dual flush toilets let you choose whether you want a low flush for liquid waste or a higher flush for solid waste.
[caption id="attachment_7633" align="alignleft" width="225"] New toilet with 6L tank[/caption]
Plumber Cheap-Fix Tip: Don't want to install a new toilet? Fill a bottle with sand or pebbles and put it in the cistern. Alternatively, you could purchase a dual-flush conversion kit or retrofit kit to convert your regular toilet to a dual-flush.
Ultra-Low-Flow Showerheads: Around 20% of the average household's water use is used for showers and baths. Install a cost-effective ultra-low-flow shower head that uses around 18 times less water than the old-fashioned type. Ultra-low-flow showerheads save money on both energy and water, and by saving 300 kilowatt hours of electricity, you can save enough power to power your television for a whole year.
[caption id="attachment_7679" align="alignleft" width="225"] New faucet with better flow[/caption]
High-Efficiency Faucets: You can reduce water use on faucets by installing high-efficiency faucets or by adding a flow restrictor or water-saving aerator to your existing faucets.
Going green starts with saving water, a precious resource that is in low supply around the world right now. Do your part by installing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures.