more water conservation in the home

Water is something most people take for granted whether it's for bathing, dishwashing, laundering, or brushing teeth. But water is a necessary resource that must be conserved.

Availability of water in the home now & in the future should be everyone's concern. Water is readily available, but the situation is changing w/ constant new demands on our water supply.

Water conservation in the home can help control pollution & diminishing water levels.

Practicing wise water-use methods in the home can benefit you & your community. Using less groundwater & surface water lessens the need for wastewater disposal & helps improve water quality & the environment.

A typical consumer uses from 50-75 gallons of water daily.

An individual can easily reduce indoor water consumption by about 30% through the installation of water-conserving devices. Such devices are low-volume fixtures that accomplish the same function as do higher volume conventional fixtures, only they use less water & energy.

plumbing modifications

commode

Displacement devices such as bricks, bottles, or bags are low-cost modifications that are effective in reducing the flush capacity of a toilet. Each device displaces about one or two quarts of water & reduces the flush volume accordingly.

Place such devices in the lower right-hand corner of the commode as far away from the flush mechanism as possible. If bricks are used, wrap in a plastic bag to prevent decomposition. If you use plastic bottles or bags, they must be weighted & filled w/ water before installed.

The average family of four could save about 10 gallons of water per day through the installation of these displacement devices.

Another device, known as a "water closet dam," can block off the lower portion of your water closet & prevent the water located behind the dam from ever leaving the tank. Generally, devices such as these are installed in pairs, one dam on each side of the flapper valve. Properly installed, the dams reduce water consumption by about 2 gallons per flush. These dams are easy to install & cost about $5 a pair.

A family of four could save about 25 gallons of water a day through installation of toilet dams.

Most commodes require about five gallons of water per flush. Today, many major plumbing appliance manufacturers are marketing low-volume commodes that use three gallons of water per flush. These low-volume commodes have been tested & perform as well as do the standard-volume models.

faucet

Most faucets have aerators that mix water & air, resulting in a capacity of about four gallons per minute.

Low-volume faucet aerators mix water & air & cut consumption in half. These devices are easy to install. All that is required is to remove the old aerator & replace it w/ the new low-volume aerator. The cost is about $2 & the average savings for a family of four is about 15 gallons per day.

Line inserts & flow-restrictor devices reduce the size of the cross-sectional area of the supply line while maintaining the same water pressure. This reduces to about three gallons per minute the flow of water through the pipe. Devices such as these may be as simple as a washer or they may be more complex.

The cost may vary from 50 cents to several dollars. A family of four could save about 10 gallons of water per day by installing these devices on the lines.

shower

Major plumbing suppliers manufacture water-saving shower heads. Most have a design capacity of about three gallons per minute as compared to six gallons per minute for a conventional shower head.

Most showers are about 60 percent hot water & w/ a reduced flow through a water-saving shower head, less hot water is consumed. As less hot water is consumed, less energy is required to heat that which is being used.

At 4 cents per kilowatt hour, it costs about one penny to heat one gallon of water. The average family of four could save about $10 per month in their water & energy bill by installing low-volume shower heads that cost from $5 to more than $20 for the deluxe models.