Water Resource Protection | Drinking Water
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Beat the Peak with Water-Saving Tips from WaterSense
When the mercury rises, so does residential water use. During dry summer months, outdoor water use increases, with more than 70 percent of water going to landscape irrigation in some areas of the country. This contributes to a phenomenon known as “peak water use season.” Water use further increases on weekends, as many people use this free time to tend lawns and landscapes, wash cars, and do laundry—all high water-using tasks.
From watering lawns and landscapes to filling swimming pools, the average American household’s water use can increase from 260 gallons of water per day to about 1,000 gallons per day! Some homes use as much as 3,000 gallons on a peak day. While using water efficiently is important throughout the year, sometimes the timing of water use can make a big difference for community water supplies—and water bills.
Find tips on what you can do to reduce your summer water use!
WaterSense Updates Tank-Type Toilet Specification
WaterSense is announcing the release of a revised specification for tank-type toilets. The primary purpose of the revision is to address certification issues caused by problems with aftermarket 3-inch flappers. Consistent with requirements for 2-inch flappers in the original specification that was released in January 2007, Version 1.1 of the WaterSense Specification for Tank-Type Toilets identifies the type of flapper that should be used by the licensed certifying body during initial testing and when conducting on-going surveillance. The revision also incorporates previously issued clarifications and aligns the sampling procedures with other WaterSense specifications. These clarifications and revisions ensure that tank-type toilets receiving the WaterSense label are certified and labeled consistently, in accordance with EPA’s intent, and will continue to meet consumer expectations for efficiency and performance. Version 1.1 of the specification is effective May 20, 2011, and EPA is providing manufacturers with a six-month grace period to begin complying with the new requirements. For more information, please go to the WaterSense Specification for Tank-Type Toilets page.
Revision Planned for the WaterSense Product Certification System
WaterSense will be publishing a draft revision to its product certification system in June 2011. The purpose of the revision is to clarify requirements for testing of products and simplify the listing of products on the WaterSense website. The revisions will also seek to align the certification procedure with that of other EPA labeling programs in advance of possible joint labeling of products. The draft will be open for comment for 30 days and will include a public meeting to discuss the changes and EPA’s intent. An email will be sent notifying all stakeholders when the draft is available for review on the WaterSense website.
Smart Outdoor Practices
WaterSense updated its website to include a new Smart Outdoor Practices section, which educates consumers on saving water outdoors through tips on water-efficient landscaping and watering wisely. The new pages also feature consumer-focused information on WaterSense irrigation partners and water-saving irrigation technologies. During this summer’s peak water use season, WaterSense will promote our new outdoor pages and deliver a suite of new tools to aid partners in communicating the need for summer water efficiency. Stay tuned for more information on the new tools that will be made available on the partner site.
New Homes Update
Builders have now been constructing homes to meet the WaterSense specification for single family new homes for more than a year! Licensed certification provider partners have reported that there were an additional 14 homes labeled in California and Texas during the first quarter of 2011. This brings the grand total of reported WaterSense labeled new homes nationwide to 26!
Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the WaterSense Revised Draft Specification for Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers. The revised draft addresses stakeholder comments on the initial draft released in November 2009.
With more than 13.5 million irrigation systems currently installed in the United States, replacing existing standard clock timer controllers with WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controllers could offer significant water savings for homeowners and organizations using irrigation systems. Weather-based controllers create or modify irrigation schedules based on the landscape needs and real-time weather data.
Comments on the revised draft specification are due March 21, 2011. Learn more and submit comments at http://epa.gov/watersense/partners/controltech.html
In the Pipeline: Water Softeners
Hard water can decrease a soap’s cleaning abilities, cause scale build-up in pipes, and lead to soap scum and hard water spots. For this reason, many households use water softeners, which can double the life of linens, reduce laundry soap consumption, and shorten washing times.
But the process of removing the calcium and magnesium ions found in hard water and exchanging them with sodium (or potassium) ions may be responsible for using more than 25 gallons of water each day per softener—that’s up to 10,000 gallons per year!
With recent improvements in water softening technology reducing this water consumption and demonstrating potential for water savings, WaterSense released a notification of intent to study cation exchange water softeners to potentially earn the WaterSense label. After gathering input from interested stakeholders, WaterSense will begin looking into a draft specification for water softeners that use less water while still performing well.
WaterSense is encouraging all interested parties to provide input on any of the issues presented in the notification of intent. Send your comments or suggestions on the cation exchange water softener specification development process to us at watersense-products@erg.com.
People often ask us what they can do to be more “green.” Watching how you use water, the undercurrent to all living things, is a key step to greening your lifestyle. NEIWPCC has partnered with a national program that identifies easy ways to keep this vital resource flowing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense® program offers a simple way to make product choices that use less water. Each American uses an average of 100 gallons of water per day. We can cut that amount by as much as 30 gallons, through a few simple steps.
- Turn the tap off when brushing our teeth. Doing so can save up to 8 gallons per day—the same amount the average person drinks in 16 days.
- Install WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures in our bathrooms.
- Water our gardens or landscaping in the morning when it’s coolest.
Products that meet EPA criteria are independently certified to perform as well as or better than conventional models with no sacrifice to quality or product performance. Look for the WaterSense label to find products that help save water and money. If just one in 10 American homes installed WaterSense labeled toilets and faucets in the bathrooms, it could save more than 120 billion gallons of water per year and more than $800 million per year in household utility bills.
As a partner in the WaterSense program, NEIWPCC is improving awareness and promoting water efficiency in our region. By using water-saving products and adopting water-saving practices, we hope to help people conserve water and energy and reduce water bills. It’s the smart, cost-effective, win-win solution that will help preserve water for the future.
WaterSense Labeled Products Reap Savings
Since the program’s inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save a cumulative 46 billion gallons of water and $343 million in water and sewer bills. In 2009 alone, WaterSense labeled products helped consumers save more than 36 billion gallons of water!
Water wasn’t all that the program helped save. Last year WaterSense reduced the amount of energy needed to heat, pump, and treat water by 4.9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. This helped eliminate about 1.75 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions that otherwise would have been released into the atmosphere, equivalent to taking more than 320,000 cars off the road for one year.
Be on the lookout this month for a water droplet roving across the United States. Flo, the “spokesgallon” for WaterSense’s new We’re for Water campaign, is helping roll out this national effort to save water with a classic American road trip. (Don’t worry, she won’t be driving.) Flo will stop at national landmarks and tourist attractions from Los Angeles to New York City, spreading the word about water efficiency along the way—from July 14 until August 2.
Why a national road trip? In some communities, while the water supply might seem abundant, often that’s not the case. Between 1950 and 2005, the U.S. population doubled, while our use of water through public supplies more than tripled. With demand outstripping supply, at least 36 states have projected some degree of water shortage through 2013.
You too can make a difference by joining thousands of your neighbors in supporting the We’re for Water campaign and making simple changes to save water at home.
Given that each American uses an average of 100 gallons of water every day at home, it’s easy to find a few gallons to spare. Start saving water today with three simple steps: Check. Twist. And replace.
First, check for leaks around your home. Easy-to-fix household leaks can waste enough water each year to fill a backyard swimming pool. To check for silent toilet leaks, just add a few drops of food coloring to the tank and wait 10 minutes before flushing. If any color appears in the toilet bowl, your toilet has a leak. If you find a leak, check out do-it-yourself repair tips or contact a plumbing professional.
Second, twist a WaterSense labeled aerator onto each bathroom faucet to use 30 percent less water without noticing a difference in flow. Faucet aerators can cost a few dollars and save a household more than 500 gallons each year—enough to do 14 loads of laundry. The WaterSense label can give you confidence that your faucet aerator will still perform as well or better than standard models.
Third, replace your old, inefficient showerhead with a WaterSense labeled model, which helps you shrink your water footprint while still enjoying a satisfying shower. Making this switch not only reduces a household’s water use by 2,300 gallons annually but also saves enough energy from heating less water to power a television for a year. Accompanying savings on utility bills are an added bonus.
Want to do more? Then take the I’m for Water pledge and become a fan of WaterSense on Facebook to share why you’re for water and learn more water-saving tips.