Reducing Household Water Use

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Reducing Household Water Use

• Janie Harris, Extension Specialist
• Housing and Environment

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Misuse of Water Part of a Vicious Circle

• The lack of regulations covering water-saving
• Policies based on increasing the supply
• Ignorance of the existence of water-saving
  technology enabling more efficient use of water
  in the home
• Attitude of abundance

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Water Problem Identified

• Limited and irregular rainfall
• Aquifer and reservoir levels are low
• Water restrictions on customers
• Conflict over valuable commodity
• Water is inexpensive to consumer
• Water is being misused
• Population continues to grow

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Strategies to Reduce Water Use

• Promote a water-saving consciousness
• Support changes that will achieve a reduction in
  water use
• Use a fast, inexpensive, contentious-free
  approach
• Shared responsibility among all

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Where Do We Start?

• Many consumers have an awareness
• Most need an understanding of exactly what they
  individually can do to save
• Begin with information about how households use
  water
• Provide information and assistance with how they
  can reduce the amount of water they use

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Household Water Management Plan

• How a household uses its water
• Knowing how much water they use
• Knowing how much water costs

23.50 per month 0 3,000 gallons
2.65 per 1,000 gal. 3,001 10,000
gallons 2.80 per 1,000 gal. 10,001
20,000 gallons 3.30 per 1,000 gal.
20,001 40,000 gallons 4.30 per 1,000 gal.
Above 40,000 gallons
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Water Use

• Households used approximately146,000 gallons
  annually
• 42 percent (61,300 gallons) was used indoors
• 58 percent (84,700 gallons) was used outdoors

• Source Residential End Uses of Water (Denver,
  Colo. AWWARF, 1999).

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Households Without Water Efficient Fixtures

• Toilets used the most water on a daily basis
  (20.1 gallons per person per day)
• Clothes washers were the second largest water
  users (15 gallons per person per day)
• Showers were third (13.3 gallons per person day)

• Source Residential End Uses of Water (Denver,
  Colo. AWWARF, 1999).

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Households With Water Efficient Fixtures

• Clothes washers are top water user (15 gallons
  per capita per day)
• Faucets (10.9 gallons per capita per day)
• Showers (10 gallons per capita per day)
• Toilets (9.6 gallons per capita per day).

• Source Residential End Uses of Water (Denver,
  Colo. AWWARF, 1999).

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National Plumbing Standards

• Passed by congress in 1992
• Water-efficiency standards
• Showerheads 2.5 gallons per minute
• Faucets 2.5 gallons per minute
• Toilets 1.6 gallons per flush
• Only affects new construction and replacement
  fixtures

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Strategies for Saving Water in Households

• Changing water-consumption habits
• Installation of water-saving devices in old
  equipment
• Acquisition of new water-saving equipment
• Acquisition of water-saving household appliances
• Other measures, device or equipment designed to
  save water (repairing leaks, recycling of
  household liquid waste, rainwater collection,
  etc.)

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Cost Effective Steps to Reduce Water Use

• Families can reduce water use by 25-35
• Fix leaks by replacing faucet washers and toilet
  flappers as needed
• Replace showerheads and faucet aerators with
  water-efficient models
• Install water-efficient toilets (1.6 gal)

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Demonstration Project

• Provide educational information, list of
  recommended behavior changes, home water audit,
  list of recommended fixture changes, install
  water efficient fixtures (toilets, shower heads,
  aerators)
• Outcome dollars saved and water saved
• Outcome which level of intervention was most
  effective

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Demonstration

• Household A provide educational information and
  a list of recommended behavior changes in order
  to reduce water usage
• Household B provide educational information,
  conduct home water audit, give list of
  recommended behavior and fixture changes
• Household C provide educational information,
  conduct home water audit, give list of
  recommended behavior changes, change toilets to
  1.6 gal flush toilet, change shower heads to 2.5
  gal/min. models, add aerators to each sink

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Conclusions

• Motivated households with education on how to
  change water use behaviors reduced water
  consumption the most.
• Household where the toilets, aerators and
  showerheads, were retrofitted, along with
  education, showed the least savings in water
  consumption.
• Focus on Public Education Campaign include
  in-house conservation as well as drought-tolerant
  landscape

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Repair Leaks
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Old vs. New

• Shower heads
• Current standard 2.5 gal/min
• Fixtures in 1970s 10 gal/min
• gt 30 different high-efficiency showerheads
• Throttling valves allow consumer to turn down the
  flow while soaping, shampooing hair, shaving,
  etc.

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Old vs. New

• Faucets
• Current standard 2.5 gal./min
• Throttle or tap saver
• Pedal control faucet
• Sensor
• Simply turn off the tap
• Aerators on all faucets

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Old vs. New

• Toilets
• Current 1.6 gal/flush (w/without pressure assist)
• Dual flush
• Prior to 1980, 5 7 gal/flush
• 1980 1992, 3.5 gal/flush
• Water displacement in tank

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Old vs. New

• Washing machines
• Not subject to national water-efficiency
  standards in the United States
• ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers save water
  and energy
• 18 to 25 gal vs. 32 to 59 gal. per wash
• Reduce wash water needs by 30 60

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Old vs. New

• Dishwashers
• ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers use an average
  of 44 less water than conventional models
• Avoid using rinse-hold and pre-rinse features
• Always wash a full load
• Automatic dishwasher uses approximately 9 15
  gallons of water while hand washing dishes can
  use up to 20 gallons

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Other Ways We Waste Water

• An average home will waste approximately 10,000
  gallons of water per year running it down the
  drain waiting for hot water

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Water Heaters

• Tankless
• Point of use heater
• Shortest run possible

3.7 gal/min
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Hot Water Use

• The Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System (a high
  performance pump, integrated controller and
  electronic zone valve), requires no special
  plumbing. It is designed for use with any hot
  water heating system to provide energy and water
  savings. It's easy to install in new or existing
  homes or businesses.

http//www.gothotwater.com
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• At the push of a button, the Metlund Hot Water
  D'MAND System circulates the ambient temperature
  water in the hot water pipes (water that is
  normally lost down the drain) back to the water
  heater
• As the ambient temperature water in the cold
  water line travels towards the hot water heater,
  the D'MAND System fills the hot water line with
  hot water. When the hot water reaches the D'MAND
  System, a thermal sensor (thermistor) senses a
  temperature rise and quickly closes the zone
  valve while it shuts the pump off.

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Graywater

• Graywater systems filter and recycle water from
  bathroom sinks, showers, and washing machines for
  irrigating landscaping and/or flushing toilets
• For a typical household, reusing graywater can
  provide fifty to one hundred gallons per day for
  outdoor use and toilet flushing, cutting your
  water and sewer bills noticeably
• Local regulations affect implementation

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Workshops in West and South Regions

• In-Home Water Management
• Efficient and Plant Selection for your landscape
• Rainwater Harvesting
• Energy Conservation

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Strategies to Reduce Water Use

• Promote a water-saving consciousness
• Support changes that will achieve a reduction in
  water use
• Use a fast, inexpensive, contentious-free
  approach
• Shared responsibility among all

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Desired Outcomes

• Adopt a water conserving attitude
• Change behaviors to conserve water
• Install more water efficient equipment and
  appliances
• Reduce water use in landscape
• Capture, reuse, recycle water

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Strategies to Reduce Water Use

• Promote a water-saving consciousness
• Support changes that will achieve a reduction in
  water use
• Use a fast, inexpensive, contentious-free
  approach
• Shared responsibility among all

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Your Challenge!

• To do your part to help reach our goal of using
  less water per person per day in households
  without sacrificing comfort
• Make Every Drop Count