Remodel With WaterSense

Americans take water for granted. We think our water is abundant, constantly replenished and ever flowing, but it's not that simple.

Between 1950 and 2000, our population nearly doubled, while our use of water through public supplies more than tripled. With demand outstripping supply, at least 36 states anticipate some degree of water shortage by 2013.

Using water more efficiently, however, protects our water supply for future generations, and it can protect your wallet as well. Saving water is easier than you'd think. The average person uses as much as 100 gallons of water per day, but we can reduce our household water use by as much as 30 percent through a few simple steps.

Efficient appliances and fixtures are a good place to start. Technology advancements are making more water-efficient new products available to help all of us use less water without sacrificing product quality or performance. WaterSense^â, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, offers a simple way to identify water-efficient plumbing fixtures that perform as well or better than conventional models.

Since 2007, hundreds of toilets, faucets, and faucet accessories have earned the WaterSense label. EPA is also developing the water efficiency and criteria for a showerhead labeling specification. If you're planning a bathroom makeover, using WaterSense labeled products is an easy way to make it "green" and save a little green along the way.

Installing WaterSense labeled toilets in your bathrooms, for example, can cut your indoor water use by about 16 percent. WaterSense labeled faucets not only help you save water in the bathroom, but save energy as well. WaterSense labeled faucets or aerators could reduce a household's annual faucet water use by nearly 600 gallons and 70 kilowatt hours of electricity used for heating the water. That's enough water to do 14 loads of laundry and enough electricity to power your hair dryer for about 8 minutes a day for a whole year!

We can use less water outside our homes too, while maintaining the green of our lawns and gardens. Many people don't realize that 30 percent of household water is used outdoors, typically for landscape irrigation. A well-maintained irrigation system can achieve excellent landscaping results while using much less water. To make sure your system is well maintained and that water is evenly distributed, choose a WaterSense irrigation partner to conduct a landscape water audit for your yard or design and install a system complete with weather or soil moisture sensors.

If you look at the numbers, remodeling with WaterSense is a smart solution. For more information or a list of WaterSense labeled products or irrigation partners, please visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

Stephanie Thornton is the Partner Outreach Coordinator for EPA's WaterSense program and can be reached at thornton.stephanie@epa.gov .

- Back to Top -