People being people, population clusters are rarely planned. Someone
looks at an arid desert and says, “Wow, that would make a great place for a
major metropolitan area,” and boom, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, or Tuscon pops
up. The people are there, but water isn’t. Even in areas where water supply
shouldn’t be a concern, over-building, sloppy agricultural practices, and
polluted water supplies can all lead to a scarcity of this most
valuable of resources.
It’s a micro as well as a macro problem. Agri-business sucks
up major hydration, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the average household uses 260 gallons of
water a day—so there’s a lot of room for savings all around. Conserving water
is a smart, eco-friendly practice anywhere you live, but in drought-prone communities
it can be a huge money-saver to boot, not to mention one that is often mandated
by local regulations.
One of the easiest and least painful ways to conserve water
is to upgrade small fixtures—sink and bathtub faucets, and
showerheads—to low-flow versions. Finding just the right fixture for your
bathroom, life and preferences is made easier with the WaterSense labeling
program established by the EPA. Just check the label for the WaterSense logo; faucets and showerheads
carrying the logo use up to 30 percent less water than standard fixtures,
without a noticeable decrease in performance. Most major plumbing brands offer
several WaterSense showerheads and faucets. WaterSense faucets are available in
all the standard handle configurations, finishes and design styles, in prices
from mid-$20s to $100 or more. The showerheads range in price from about $20, to
around $70, with a few running more than $100. Price varies based on features such as
multiple spray settings, special hand grips and, of course, styling. Learn more about the EPA’s WaterSense program and labeled fixtures
at www.epa.gov/watersense.
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The Waterpik EcoFlow NSC-653EF
hand-held shower head features
6 spray settings, a stylish chrome
finish, and a flow rate of 2 gpm.
Photo courtesy of Waterpik (www.waterpik.com).
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Start with your showerhead. The typical low-flow
showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm) or less, in contrast to the 5.5 to
6 gallons that was standard for showerheads before 1992. Given the average
10-minute shower, it’s pretty easy math to see how savings add up quickly.
Older low-flow heads weren’t so good at striking
the balance between conserving water and providing an invigorating spray, but modern versions
bring the blast. High-efficiency showerheads abound, and come in both handheld
and stationary styles. Kohler (www.kohler.com/conservation)
offers high-performance, water-conserving showerheads and “handshowers”
(Kohler’s term for handheld sprayheads), under the MasterShower® Ecofficient™
mark. These products offer flow rates as low as 2 gpm. Waterpik (www.waterpik.com/shower-head/ecoflow.html) has joined the environmentally friendly parade with its stylish EcoFlow® showerheads that feature
ergonomic handheld designs and flow rates as low as 1.6 gpm. Moen (www.moen.com)
manages that same low-flow in super high style with their Eco-Performance showerheads,
“spa” bodies and steam features. Moen offers high-end finishes and some of the
most beautiful (and pricey) high-efficiency shower fixtures available.
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American Standard's Portsmouth faucet
is a WaterSense fixture with contemporary
styling. Photo courtesy of American Standard
(www.americanstandard-us.com).
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Faucets are ripe for savings as well. The EPA estimates that adding
WaterSense faucets to your bathrooms and kitchen can save up to 500 gallons of
water each year. American Standard offers a wealth of super stylish WaterSense
faucets (www.americanstandard-us.com/water-efficiency/watersense). Other
companies offer new water-conserving faucet technology. Delta’s Touch2O® faucets (www.deltafaucet.com) incorporate technology that allows the faucet to be turned on with a touch,
and that automatically shuts the faucet off when hands are moved away from it.
KWC Faucets (kwcamerica.com) offers Coolfix faucets with a single lever handle
that runs cold in the standard “six-o’clock” position, in which most faucets
combine hot and cold water. The user must rotate the lever for warm water. This
simple change can save on heating bills.
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JADO's Savina faucet is a classic look
with water-sipping efficiency. Photo
courtesy of JADO (www.jadousa.com)
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Aerators are another easy way for renters and homeowners to save
significant amounts of water. Faucets produced before 1994 usually aren’t
equipped with an aerator, and adding one is a simple and quick project. You can
find aerators at home centers for less than $5 (although more expensive
WaterSense aerators can run $10 to $15). Similar devices are available for use on showerheads, including flow control inserts and control valves that are installed between the
shower pipe extension and the showerhead.
