Water Down the Drain
March 2nd, 2008 . by Bryan A. McCarty
Americans use at least twice as much water and energy per person as anyone else in the word. By 2025, it’s predicted that the world must increase its water supply by 22 percent in order to meet these needs. Keep in mind that 40 percent of the drinking water supplied to homes is flushed down the toilet. With so much water being wasted, what’s a person to do? Here’s a simple idea that can make a big impact.
Take a shorter shower.
Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than 10 gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of a year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn form the Great Lakes every day. The Great Lakes are the world’s largest source of freshwater.
Shower Heads
Showers and baths consume around 18 percent of the water used indoors. Another simple step to lessen your water consumption is to install low-flow shower heads. If your home was built before 1992, chances are your shower heads put out about five gallson of water per minute (gpm). Multiply this by the number of minutes you’re in the shower… and yes, it adds up fast! Most shower heads in homes built after 1992 deliver no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. If you’re unsure of your shower head status, it’s time to check things out and make the change.
Start Today
Probably the easiest step we can all take - take a shorter shower. And remember, 2 minutes in the shower equals 10 gallons of water. And if you really want to be ambitious, save even more water by showering with your significant other…
That is great insight. On the topic of bathroom behavior … Consider investing in a low flow toilet. My wife and I will be replacing our recently broken toilet with a new low flow toilet. The model we are looking at has two different flush buttons labeled one and two… I think you get the idea. This style of toilet uses 1.5 gallons per flush (number one) or 3.5 gallons per flush (number two) compared to the typical 5-7 gallons per flush used by conventional toilets.
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