Homeowners these days are more concerned than ever about conserving water and doing their part to protect our environment.
While turning off the tap while you brush your teeth, watering your lawn at night and limiting shower time are all great ideas, one of the best things you can do to ensure that you live in a “green” household is to install WaterSense faucets.
In this article we’ll explain how WaterSense came about and help you find the perfect water-saving fixtures for your kitchen and bath.
The EPA’s brain-child
The United States Environmental Protection Agency is the impetus behind the whole WaterSense program. In essence, the EPA defined water and energy saving standards to determine whether or not a particular faucet, aerator or fixture offered significant conservation results when in use.
When a product meets the department’s strict criteria, they are allowed to be labeled as WaterSense approved, making it super easy for consumers to know straight away whether or not the faucet they’re looking at is EPA approved and removing all ambiguity.
All this without sacrificing performance
The real beauty of the program is that manufacturers not only have to prove that their products save water but they’re also required to show that the new technology performs as well as a non-approved tap.
For example, a WaterSense faucet will feature a maximum gallon per minute flow rate of 1.5, but to the user it will still feel and act the same as a 2.2 gpm tap. All hardware is inspected by an independent organization to ensure that both target savings and minimum flow rate are met.
This 30% decrease in water flow would literally conserve billions of gallons of water each and every year nationwide if every home was retrofitted with this innovative technology.
Even if you aren’t in the market for new faucets right now, a simple aerator can help you cut water usage with your current fixtures.
Water conservation is like money in the bank
On average, American homes fitted with WaterSense faucets save approximately 700 gallons of water per year. When you consider that this water is generally heated, this means not only a decrease in the water bill but in electricity to boot!
According to the EPA, if every home in the US switched to water-saving faucets, upwards of $1.2 billion could be saved annually in water and energy costs, enough to cover the needs of nearly 700,000 American homes.
High-performance meets high-fashion
Early models of water-saving faucets were bulky and unattractive, but nowadays all of the major manufacturers are designing sleek, stylish, professional-looking faucets for your kitchen and bath that meet the stringent WaterSense standards.
From Brizo to Delta to Kohler and more, Consolidated Plumbing Supply’s salesroom showcases dozens of gorgeous top-of-the-line faucets that will both beautify your home and make sure you’re doing your part for our future. Stop by and ask about WaterSense faucet technology or simply check for the logo on all EPA approved hardware.
