Low-flow saves money and energy
November 19, 2009
Low-flow saves money and energy
By Morgan Zenner
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill. And, if all U.S. households installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars per year.
Water has risen to the top of the list as becoming one of the scarcest resources available worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. Also, according to UNICEF, with current trends over the next 20 years, humans will use 40 percent more water than they do now.
It takes a lot of energy to sustain today’s water system. The EPA estimates that American public water supply and treatment facilities, consume 56 billion kilowatt-hours per year—or as much energy needed to power 5 million homes for a year.
Since 1987, the U.S. developed federal law requiring all toilets not exceed more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Most manufactures reduced the size of the tanks, which resulted in people using multiple flushes. Other manufacturers got creative and developed new systems that apply the low-flow concept to shower heads, faucets and toilets, without compromising functionality.
In the past, water pressure was related to the amount of water flow—the greater the water pressure, the more water was used. Now, manufactures that have redesigned low-flow fixtures have found ways to offer similar water pressure with less water flow.
The new technology uses a process known as aeration, which applies pressure to water to simulate heavy-flow effect. In reality, less water is flowing out of faucets at higher pressures.
Take toilets, for example. New technology uses larger drain passages, redesigned bowls and tanks for easier wash down to reduce water flow. With a larger flush valve, the water flow increases quickly and forcefully flows into the bowl.
Aerators can easily be applied to most faucets to create that pressurized effect, at a decent price.
Though considered an initial investment, low-flow fixtures save homeowners money in the long-run by using less water and some utilities offer incentives to those who use low-flow fixtures. That $500 per year water bill can be reduced to $330 per year using water-efficiency practices..
The EPA sponsored a water conservation program called WaterSense that identifies water-efficient products. Similar to other certifications, those products with a WaterSense label complete a third-party certification process that includes independent laboratory testing to meet criteria mandated by the EPA. In addition, all WaterSense products achieve an efficiency rating at least 20 percent better than average products in the specific category.
WaterSense labels can be found on faucets, toilets, landscape irrigation services, showerheads and more. For more information on WaterSense, visit
www.epa.gov/watersense.