Go the extra mile and help clients reduce water use – you can save them money and help protect the environment.
Bath
- Choose fixtures certified to meet WaterSense criteria, which offer a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), compared to an industry standard of 2.2 gpm. WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that aims to decrease indoor and outdoor water use through water-efficient products and simple, water-saving practices. All of Moen’s lavatory faucets are certified to meet WaterSense criteria.
- Replace 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf) toilets with newer 1.28 gpf models when remodeling an older home. The WaterSense certification is currently available for high-efficiency toilets as well as faucets. Toilets can use 28 percent of a home’s water according to some estimates.
- Consider dual-flush toilets. Users can conserve water by choosing a flush with less water for liquid waste.
- Read consumer reviews and choose toilets that consistently do the job with one flush. Be aware that higher price doesn’t always mean better performance.
- Showers can account for 20 percent of indoor water use. You can slash that percentage that by replacing each industry standard 2.5 gpm showerhead with a showerhead certified to meet WaterSense criteria such as Moen’s Envi™ Eco-Performance Rainshower. The Eco-Performance line includes 12 models, with flow rates of 1.75 or 2.0 gallons per minute (up to 30% less than the industry standard). Several of these showerheads feature Moen’s innovative Immersion® technology – a self-pressurizing system that increases the force and flow of water delivery.
- Consider products such as Moen’s ioDigital shower or vertical spa, which includes a water-saving setting that really earns its keep in the home bath.
- Add an aerator to mix air and water to reduce flow without cutting pressure, if you can’t replace the faucet. They’re easy to install. Aerators for the bath should have a rating of 1.0 gpm max.
 Photo Credit: Moen Incorporated Moen Envi™ Three Function Eco-Performance Showerhead |
 Photo Credit: Moen Incorporated Moen ioDigital™ Shower |
Kitchen
- Add faucet aerators (2.2 gpm rating is adequate) to existing kitchen faucets to conserve water without reducing pressure.
- Recommend ENERGY STAR®-qualified dishwashers, which use a third less water than non-qualified models.
- Suggest a dishwasher that does a good job cleaning, so the homeowner doesn’t have to pre-rinse dishes.
- Recommend refrigerators that dispense chilled water, which can eliminate the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it before drinking.
Laundry
- Encourage homeowners not to buy a bigger clothes washer than they really need. Although water-saving front-loading clothes washers are the obvious choice, many people will buy a larger washer just to accommodate special situations (such as the two weeks the kids will be home from college).
Yard
- Recommend employing water-efficient landscaping practices such as planting drought-tolerant plant species and grouping together plants that need similar amounts of water.
- Suggest mulching trees and plants to help the soil retain moisture and reduce watering needs.
- Use as little fertilizer as possible – it can increase plants’ water consumption.
- Recommend “smart” sprinkler controls, which monitor soil moisture levels and water the lawn only when needed.
- Suggest sprinkler heads that throw large drops of water. Smaller droplets evaporate more before soaking into the ground.
- Put covers on swimming pools to reduce evaporation and the need to add water.
Don’t forget the infrastructure
- Install tankless water heaters. Whole-house models use less energy than a tank, and point-of-use models save water by heating it right under the sink, so there’s no need to run the tap while waiting for hot water to arrive.
- Insulate the water pipes. Everyone recommends this, but a surprising number of builders and remodelers don’t do follow this advice.
Cherry on Top
Georgians will have the opportunity to purchase qualified energy efficient products with NO state or local sales tax from Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4, 2009. A broad range of products up to $1,500 marked with the ENERGY STAR logo and purchased for personal use are included in this unique incentive. Specifically, the sales tax exemption applies to ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, clothes washers, room air conditioners, ceiling fans, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats, refrigerators, doors and windows.
Flipside
