Did you know you can save up to four gallons of water every time you brush your teeth by simply turning off the faucet? Every day we spend time in the bathroom to get ready for work or wind down for sleep, and during this process we use a lot more water than we think.
In an effort to decrease water use in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency developed a partnership program: WaterSense®. Launched almost a decade ago, the program encourages water efficiency with certain products. Those touting the WaterSense label have been put through third party testing and meet specific standards—meaning they are at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance.
Since its start in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 1.1 trillion gallons of water. That’s equal to the annual water usage for more than 11 million homes, enough to fill 40 million swimming pools. Water isn’t the only thing being conserved; the products have also affected utility bills, tallying up more than $21.7 billion in savings.
With thousands of WaterSense products at Home Depot, you don’t have to look far for water and financial savings.
Ready to update your bathroom? See how you can make your bathroom more environmentally friendly.
Showerheads
Taking a nice long, hot shower can feel nice, but if you’re using an older showerhead, you could be using 2.5 gallons of water a minute. Combined with the rest of your family, you might be using 40 gallons of water a day from showers alone.
To combat this, WaterSense showerheads limit the flow to two gallons a minute. Don’t worry, your shower’s water pressure won’t be reduced to a trickle to be dubbed “eco-friendly.” In order to receive the coveted WaterSense label, the product had to provide a shower equal or better than that with conventional showerheads. By swapping out just two showerheads with WaterSense options, your family can save 1,794 gallons a year.
Toilets
Toilets are the main source of water use in a home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of a home’s indoor water use. That’s because older toilets use as much as 6 gallons per flush. WaterSense toilets significantly decrease the amount of water used—all the way down to 1.6 gallons per flush. Replacing two toilets with low-flow toilets results in 8,190 gallons of water saved a year.
Faucets
Changing your bathroom faucet may sound like a complicated task, but it’s actually quite easy to do yourself and can make a significant impact. Here’s how it works. Older faucets have higher flow rates—as high as 7 gallons a minute. Installing WaterSense faucets means your water flow doesn’t exceed 1.5 gallons a minute. Replacing just three home sinks will result in saving 657 gallons a year.
Making any—or all—of these bathroom updates is guaranteed to give you a high-functioning bathroom with an eco-friendly focus. Want more? Check out 10 ways to save 25,000 gallons of water.
