Green Homes: Indoor Water Use
March 01, 2008
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a continuing series of articles written or compiled by Daniel Lawse, energy outreach coordinator with the Neighborhood Center for Greater Omaha. Lawse also co-chairs the Green Omaha Coalition’s Green Neighborhood Council. The Green Omaha Coalition is dedicated to promoting a healthy, sustainable community through partnerships, policy and smart solutions. Omaha by Design is a founding partner of the Green Omaha Coalition.
By Daniel Lawse
The average person in Nebraska uses about 100 gallons of water each day in his or her home. That means a four-person household uses about 400 gallons of water a day. If that sounds like a lot, it is! Imagine if you had to carry 100 plastic one-gallon milk jugs from your house to the Missouri River to fill each day in order to quench your daily water needs. This doesn’t even take into consideration the time you would spend boiling and purifying all that nice “clean” river water. If we each had to haul the water we use in a day, our daily water use would be dramatically reduced.
Fortunately for us, we have a public water system that delivers clean, drinkable water to us with the turn of the tap. Because we get our water so easily, we often take it for granted and, consequently, use more than is necessary for many of our daily tasks. There are many free, easy, low-cost ways to reduce our indoor water consumption, which can also save a substantial amount of money and resources over time. Consider, for instance, the breakdown (below) of our typical daily water use and accidental waste.
Average indoor water use per person: 100 gallons/day
Toilets: 26%
Clothes Washers: 22%
Showers: 17%
Faucets: 16%
Leaks: 14%
Other Domestic Uses: 2%
Baths: 2%
Dishwashers: 1%
Leaks
Up to 14% of all water use in your home comes from leaks. A drip every second from a faucet can lead up to 1,600 gallons of water each year. A leaky toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons each month.
- Check for leaks: Turn off all water in your home. Write down the reading on your water meter. Wait one hour. See if your water meter has changed. If it has changed, you have a leak!
- Toilets: Drop a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. Check in 15 minutes and again in 30 minutes. If you see food coloring in the toilet bowl, you have a toilet leak.
Bathrooms
Over 50% of all indoor water use occurs in the bathroom.
- Turn off water when brushing your teeth, washing your face and shaving.
- Install a 0.5 gallon per minute (gpm) maximum bathroom faucet aerator. Cost: $4. Savings: Greater than $15 per year.
- Install a low-flow showerhead, which provides the same or greater pressure with less water. Look for 1.75 gpm models. The standard is 2.5 gpm max, so get at least a 2.0 gpm or lower. Cost: Less than $10. Savings: Greater than $15 per person each year.
- Take shorter showers. If you lose track of time in the shower, there is a “Shower Coach” water-proof five-minute sand timer that sticks to your shower wall. Cost: $3. Savings: Greater than $10 per year.
- Install a shower on/off valve. This low-cost device lets you reduce the water flow while shampooing or lathering soap without affecting the perfect temperature you spent so long coaxing. Cost: $4. Savings: Greater than $15 per person each year.
- Install a toilet sink that takes the place of the lid on the back of your toilet. This allows you to use clean water to wash your hands, which then goes into the toilet tank to be used the next time you flush your toilet.
- If you have an older toilet, consider replacing it. Older toilets can use more than 5 gallons per flush (up to 7.5 gpf). New models use no more than 1.6 gpf.
Kitchens
If you have a dishwasher, use it. Washing by hand can use up to 20 gallons per washing, whereas newer dishwashers use as little as 5-10 gallons per load.
- Wash only full loads of dishes. Most new dishwashers do not need to have the dishes rinsed. Just scrape food scraps into your compost bucket and place your dishes in the dishwasher.
- If you need to wash dishes by hand, fill up two sinks – one for washing and the other for rinsing.
- Instead of dumping good water down the drain, leftover water from your metal or glass water bottle can be put into a watering can for thirsty plants next time you water.
- Install a three-way kitchen sink aerator. This aerator has an on/off lever, a full stream option for filling containers, and a spray option for hand and dishwashing. Cost: $4. Savings: Greater than $15 each year.
Clothes Washing
Wash only full loads of laundry. This alone can save you as much as 1,000 gallons each month.
- Wash clothes in cold water. Up to 90% of all energy used to wash your clothes comes from heating your water. Most detergents work just as well in cold water.
- If you are in the market for a new clothes washer, look for a high-efficiency, front-loading washer. Front-loading models can cut water use in half and energy use by one-third compared to a top-loading model.
Many of the water-efficient products are sold online. I have found www.efi.com to be a useful resource in the consumer division. Use promotional code: CMC for 10% off your next purchase. Other places to check are www.amconservation.com and www.niagaraconservation.com.
If you have questions or comments about how to green your home or would like to see a specific topic covered in the Green Homes column, contact Daniel Lawse at livesimply93@gmail.com.