Bathroom Water Conservation With WaterSense – Four Useful Tips
The bathroom is the room in the home where most of a family’s water usage can take place. Between taking a shower and flushing the toilet, the amount of water used in a day for a family of two or more can be astounding. In order to conserve water in your bathroom and save money on your monthly bill, consider these four helpful hints.
Use as little water as possible. A lot of water gets wasted when people leave the faucet running while brushing their teeth and washing their hands and faces. Instead of waiting for the water to get really hot, use the water at room temperature if possible. In addition, don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth – you could be wasting gallons each month!
Replace old faucets with water-conserving ones. Turning off the faucet isn’t the only way to save on water. You can also save on the amount you use simply by having the right kind of faucet. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests purchasing faucets that are marked with the WaterSense label, which identifies products that perform better than their less efficient counterparts, are 20 percent more water efficient than average products and provide measurable water savings results.
Install a low-flow toilet. Depending on how many people share a bathroom, a toilet can get flushed many times throughout the day. Flushing the toilet can be a significant way to use up water, so getting the right kind of toilet can make all the difference. Again, looking for products with the WaterSense label is a great way to find an efficient toilet suited for your bathroom.
Change your showerhead. The average household can save more than 2,300 gallons of water each year by simply installing a WaterSense showerhead, according to the EPA. The standard showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm), but a WaterSense showerhead uses no more than 2.0 gpm. It’s also been proven that taking a shower can use more water than taking a bath. So don’t be afraid to light some candles and take a relaxing bath every once in a while.