1. Replace your showerhead. Showerheads installed after 1992 use 2.5 gallons of water per

minute (gpm), while older showerheads can use double that. Every 10-minute shower — even

when equipped with a 2.5 gpm model — uses 25 gallons of water. Today’s low-flow

showerheads use between 1.5 and 1.75 gpm of water – a savings of 40 percent over the 2.5

gpm models, or a gallon for every minute you are in the shower. Those savings easily add up

in households that have multiple showers a day. Be careful, though: Almost every 2.5 gpm

shower still advertises itself as “low-flow.” This misnomer must be carefully examined when you

are shopping for new showerheads – make sure the carton states 1.5 or 1.75 gpm water flow.

2. Replace your toilet. Toilets installed after 1992 use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). If you have one

that was installed before 1992 (and there are millions of them out there!), it probably uses 3.5

gpf. Fortunately, there are other alternatives, including dual-flush toilets, which feature two

flush options: one for liquid waste and one for solid waste. Thus, when less water is needed,

you can use the lower-flush option. Dual-flush toilets typically use 0.8 gpf for liquid waste and

the standard 1.6 gpf for solid waste, although the most efficient versions use 1.28 gpf for solid

waste. These toilets average one gpf in water use throughout the course of the day – a savings

of 37%! If you are switching from a pre-1992 toilet that uses 3.5 gpf – your savings is 72%!

Now we’re getting somewhere.

3. Replace your faucet aerators. Every sink comes with an aerator installed. It’s what allows the

water to come out in a confined manner, rather than spraying all over the sink. Unfortunately,

most faucets come with an aerator that allows 2.2 gallons per minute of water flow. A standard

shower (which you’ve already converted to low-flow!) uses 2.5 gallons per minute. That means

your bathroom sink is putting out almost as much water as your shower! While you may need

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more than a gallon of water to wash your entire body, you do not need that much water to wash

your hands and face, shave, or brush your teeth. What to do? Faucet aerators are the threedollar

solution – simply go to your nearest hardware store and purchase a 1 gpm or, even

better, an 0.5 gpm aerator. Bring it home, unscrew the existing one, and replace it with the new

low-flow version. You’ll have instant water savings, over 50% (or 75% with 0.5 gpm versions),

for less than $3 and three minutes of your time. Replacing faucet aerators is the easiest and

most cost-effective water-saving measure that each and every one of us can do in our homes

and places of employment.

4. Replace your faucets. If you have a leaky faucet, your best bet would be to replace it with a

new WaterSense®-labeled model with a maximum flow rate of 1.5 gpm, or a savings of 30%

over conventional faucets. If you currently have a pre-1992 model, your savings will likely be

even greater.

5. Switch to a front loading clothes washer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA), the average family does nearly 400 loads of laundry annually. That’s a lot of washing!

By switching to an ENERGY STAR®-rated, front loading washing machine, you can cut water

use in half, while saving over 30% on your energy bill.

6. Use your dishwasher (and make sure its ENERGY STAR labeled), instead of

handwashing your dishes. Using your dishwasher can use 30% less water over washing

dishes by hand, and it will save you time, too! But make sure to use an ENERGY STAR-rated

dishwasher, which will use 40% less water than a standard dishwasher, while saving energy in

the process! The cost is virtually the same, so if it is time to upgrade your dishwasher, make

sure you are looking for the ENERGY STAR label.

7. Wash your car at a carwash, not in the driveway. Washing your car in the driveway uses a

lot of water. Most hoses have no flow restrictors and often lay running continuously as you

soap up the car — not to mention the runoff. That water often runs into the storm sewer,

carrying soaps and pollutants into the drain. Many car washes recycle and clean their water for

reuse. These closed loop systems continuously reuse water versus running it down the drain.

8. Have your irrigation separately metered. This is not common in residential settings, but for

those of you with an irrigation system, make sure it has its own meter. This is important for two

reasons. First, if you don’t know how much water you are using for irrigation, how can you

measure your savings? The second reason goes straight to your pocketbook. If you do not

have your irrigation separately metered, you are more than likely paying sewer charges on that

water. Since irrigation is going straight into the ground for the plants, most municipalities won’t

charge you a sewer fee, and you’ll only pay for the water used. Paying only for water and not

for sewer for irrigation can cut your bill in half. So, if you do not have a separate meter for

irrigation, get one installed and watch your sewer bill plummet!

9. Add a moisture sensor to your irrigation system. How many times have you seen an

irrigation system running after it has rained for a week (or even while it is raining, for that

matter)? Too many irrigation systems turn on according to the same schedule, regardless of

the weather conditions, needlessly wasting thousands of gallons of water per household. While

there are complex weather monitors that actually track forecasts, a simple soil moisture

monitor reads how much water is in the ground and activates the irrigation system accordingly,

saving you water and money. And while you’re at it, make sure that irrigation system is

properly zoned. Turf lawns watered via sprinkler require more water than a drip irrigation

system for shrubs. Your irrigation system should have a different zone and setting for each type

of planting area around your house. Even basic zoning for turf grass versus plantings will

significantly cut down on the time a system is running.

10. You’ve heard it a million times, but I’ll say it again: Stop running water when you’re not

using it! Turn off the faucet when brushing teeth. Don’t turn on the shower until you’re ready to

get in. Don’t run the water while soaping up your hands. These are just a few examples I see

day in and day out. It doesn’t matter how efficient your fixtures are, if you’re running water

when you aren’t using it, it’s a complete waste, and turning off the water in these and other

situations is a free fix! You don’t have to pay anything to be smarter with your own water use!

Thanks to Tommy Linstroth – principal at Trident Sustainability Group

Save $25 on Your Next Service Call

Water conservation programs are popping up around the country. Is it time for your approach to go beyond the basics?

Water-saving washers and dishwashers. High-efficiency and dual-flush toilets. Eco performance showerheads and faucets. All are well-established components of water conservation programs – and have proven effective for builders large and small. For instance, KB Home, the first national builder to partner with EPA’s WaterSense program, has used water-saving fixtures and appliances to reduce water consumption in its homes by 20 percent.

While a 20 percent savings is impressive, some builders are finding creative ways to save even more. There is potential for big savings, for example, by rethinking the home’s interior plumbing infrastructure and reducing the need for lawn irrigation.

Creative Plumbing

Tankless water heaters. A tankless water heater will be most effective if it’s placed as close to the point of use as possible. “Sometimes you might need two instead of one,” according to John Barrows, a Long Island-based green builder, and co-author of “Green Building for Dummies.”

Shorter pipe runs. Centrally locating a conventional water heater can reduce hot water piping. With less heat loss as water travels through the pipe, users won’t run the water as long while waiting for it to heat up.

Recirculating systems. A hot-water recirculating system uses a pump to quickly move hot water from the tank to the tap, while simultaneously sending cooled water back to the tank. One potential downside, according to Barrows, is that the system can be an energy drain if it’s left on all the time. He suggests adding timers, motion detectors, or a simple switch “so you can turn the system on like you turn on the lights.”

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