Water Saving Devices
Conserve Water and Save Money in the Bathroom and Kitchen
Low flow showerheads, dual flush toilets and other inexpensive ways to save water and money.
Don’t flush money down the loo with every trip to the bathroom, during each hot shower, and every time you wash your hands.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill. The agency says homeowners could save about $170 per year just by making a few simple changes to use water more efficiently.
Save water with the following (mostly) inexpensive devices and fixtures designed for the eco-conscious, and money-smart, home owner.
Save Water with Every Flush
Cheapest of all water-saving measures is placing a heavy object in your toilet tank to displace water. Bricks are heavy and inexpensive, but may disintegrate and clog your plumbing (although you can encase them in a zippered baggie). Instead, use a plastic water or milk bottle filled with rocks, marbles, or even water and your toilet will fill up with less water after each flush. Experiment with the size of the bottle; if you need to flush twice to completely void the toilet bowl, you will be wasting more water and money.
Low Flow Showerheads
Federal laws mandate that new showerhead flow rates can't exceed more than 2.5 gallons per minute at a water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch. Replace older, less efficient showerheads with low-flow models to reap big savings. Gaiam’s Lowest Flow Showerhead promises a strong water spray while cutting water use by 50 to 70 percent. A built-in valve cuts off the water while you soap up or shave in the shower. Price: $12. Shipping is $5.95.
Dual Flush Toilets
Popular in Japan and Australia, dual flush toilets have yet to catch on North America. These new models, such as the Toto Aquia Dual Flush Toilet from The Inside Store, create significant water savings with an ingenious solution—using different flushing options for different waste. Push the smaller button for liquid waste and the larger button for solids. Price for "cotton" or white colored toilets: $305, with an overweight charge of $99.95.
Toilet Tune-Up Water Conservation Kit
Don’ have the cash to upgrade to a water-saving toilet? Retrofit your old loo with the Toilet Tune-Up Water Conservation Kit from Creative Energy Technologies, Inc. Included in the kit is a water conservation booklet, leak detection dye tablets, the “Frugal Flush” toilet flapper, a water-displacing “Toilet Tummy,” and a “Fill Master” fill cycle diverter. This diverter saves one-half to one-and-one-half gallons per flush by diverting water that would normally go down the toilet's overflow tube back into the toilet tank. Price: $12.95. Shipping varies.
Kitchen Faucet Aerator
Faucet aerators save water usage by mixing air with water to make a more forceful spray at a lower rate of flow. Aerators for the kitchen sink are inexpensive, like this swivel aerator from Let’s Go Green, which features swivel action and an adjustable spray. Price: $4.95. Shipping varies with UPS.
Two Uses for One Flush: Toilet Sink
Kill two birds with one stone. Each time you flush your toilet, clean water rushes to fill up your tank. Why not use that water (the same that flows into your bathroom sink) to wash your hands after toileting? Gaiam sells a toilet sink lid that easily installs over your standard toilet and sends clean water through a chrome spigot to a sink bowl on top of the toilet lid. Price: $89. Shipping is $11.95.
