Water-Saving Tips

Water-efficient plumbing products can increase your home value while enabling you to save on your water bill. Across the housing market, water-efficiency upgrades are a high-growth category, due to their appeal to buyers who value sustainability and long-term cost savings.

These home products include toilets, faucet, showerheads, lawn sprinkler systems, and point-of-use reverse osmosis water treatment systems that remove contaminants such as lead, PFAS and bacteria. Commercial products include urinals and outdoor irrigation or sprinkler systems.

All of these products can be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, which has saved more than 10 trillion gallons of water since its introduction about 20 years ago. A certified WaterSense product meets high performance criteria while reducing water use by 20% or more compared to products meeting the federal standard. For example, a WaterSense toilet uses 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) or less, 20% less than the federal standard of 1.60 gpf. WaterSense faucets use 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) vs. the 1.8 gpm federal standard, and WaterSense showerheads 2.0 gpm vs. the federal standard of 2.5 gpm.

Eco-conscious home buyers look for plumbing-related features that will lower water and energy bills, provide high and reliable performance, and reduce the need for costly future replacements.

Members of Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) have dedicated themselves to producing WaterSense and other water-efficient products in a wide range of styles and prices. These products can be found online and in retail and wholesale showrooms around the world. Home and business owners have more options than ever.

Here are a number of actions you can take to maximize water efficiency where you live and work. If you decide to shop, you can find a product and see if rebates are available in your area.

1. Replace older, inefficient toilets. Studies commissioned by PMI estimate that replacing all the older, inefficient toilets with water-efficient models could save billions gallons of water within only a few years, with the exact number depending on how many toilets were replaced. If your toilet was manufactured before the implementation of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) in 1994, there’s a good chance it uses water inefficiently. Today’s water-efficient toilets have earned high consumer satisfaction ratings, according to Consumer Reports, so there is no reason to be concerned about flushing power and cleanliness. Toilets account for about 30% of the indoor water use in the average home, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
2. Replace or upgrade faucets. Faucets account for about 15% of indoor household water use, according to the EPA. WaterSense faucets can reduce the water you use at sinks by at least 20%. Some faucets may be upgraded with an aerator to be made more water efficient.
3. Get a water-efficient showerhead. Showerheads use about 20% of the water in an average home, according to the EPA. Swapping out your old showerhead for a new one can save water and money while providing outstanding performance and safety. Always be sure that the shower valve is sized to fit your showerhead.
4. Eliminate leaks and prevent waste and damage caused by them. Look for and repair any water leaks in faucets, toilet flappers, and so forth. Leaks can use up to 12% of the water in the average home. Smart plumbing products, such as leak detectors, shut-off valves, and brain pipe technology, can save water and prevent damage in the case of a leak.
5. Shorten the distance hot water travels. There’s nothing mysterious about it. The farther the heat source—whether a water heater, a heat pump or a boiler—is located from the shower or faucet, the longer it takes the hot water to arrive. Water is wasted while you wait for the right temperature. To get hot water faster and reduce waste when building or remodeling a home, consider:
• Placing the water heater close to the shower to have a shorter-pipe run.
• Smaller-diameter pipes that hold less water.
• A recirculating pump to keep water hot in the water pipes.
• A point-of-use, on-demand heater near distant taps.
6. Water reuse. Newer buildings have onsite systems that capture, treat and recycle water for non-potable or outdoor uses such as toilet flushing, cooling and irrigation. These systems generally use dual plumbing systems that separate potable and non-potable water.

1. Conduct a water inventory to determine the flow rate of all toilets, faucets, showerheads, urinals, and outdoor sprinkler systems. Any using more than current federal water-efficiency standards should be upgraded immediately.
2. Switch to water-efficient valves. Replace commercial kitchen pre-rinse spray valves with water-efficient models.
3. Ease the pressure. Consider reducing the water pressure of your entire plumbing system.
4. Cut outdoor water waste. The WaterSense label is not just for plumbing products, but also for irrigation controllers and irrigation-training programs for landscape professionals. The label identifies water-efficient products and verifies professional proficiency in water-efficient irrigation system design, installation, maintenance, and performance audits.Ease the pressure. Consider reducing the water pressure of your entire plumbing system.