Water conservation is increasingly important.
Clean water is a precious resource that is becoming increasingly expensive as the demand increases. Using water efficiently---by making a few changes at home---can add up to big savings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that if every household in America switched to water efficient appliances it would save 3 trillion gallons of water each year. Does this Spark an idea?
Efficient Bathroom Faucets
Old faucets waste water.
The EPA estimates that a trillion gallons of water is wasted each day by inefficient, older-model faucets in the bathroom. Replacing old bathroom faucets with new faucets that bear the WaterSense label can cut water flow through the faucet by 30 percent, saving the average household 500 gallons a year. The WaterSense label means that the faucet has gone through a verification process and is certified to perform as well as or better than a comparable product but with greater water efficiency. Replacing a faucet is a weekend project for a handyman. If replacing your faucets is too costly, just replace the aerator on existing faucets with a Water Sense-labeled aerator. The savings will be similar to replacing the entire faucet, and an aerator costs a fraction of the price. Replacing the aerator is a simple project that could be done by anyone in one day. If every household in the US changed their faucets or aerators the EPA estimates that 60 billion gallons of water would be saved annually.
Efficient Toilets
Old toilets do not use water efficiently
The average person flushes the toilet 140,000 times during his lifetime, according to EPA estimates. The toilet accounts for 30 percent of a homes water usage. Older toilets waste as much as 4,000 gallons of water per year. WaterSense-labeled toilets have gone through a certification process and meet water efficiency and performance standards. Water conserving toilets are available in a wide range of prices and are widely available. The EPA estimates that 640 billion gallons of water could be saved each year if every household in the U.S. replaced an older toilet with a high efficiency toilet.
Drip Irrigation
Sprinklers lose water to evaporation.
Irrigation may account for as much as 30 percent of the monthly water usage for suburban households. Watering by way of sprinklers is inefficient. Water is lost to evaporation and run-off. Sprinklers often spray onto sidewalks and driveways, wasting the water that is needed for your yard and plants. A drip irrigation system---the EPA estimates---can cut water usage by between 20 and 50 percent. Drip irrigation systems deliver water slowly to specific plants. They can be connected to outdoor faucets and even equipped with timers. For even more water efficiency, connect your drip irrigation system to a rain barrel or other rain-conserving device, so you do not have to use water from your faucet to irrigate your lawn.
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