The average American uses 100 gallons of water a day at home, and while those gallons add up, so do the dollars.
A typical U.S. household spends $1,100 per year on water, but it can save $350 annually simply by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances. What’s more, reducing water use doesn’t just pad your wallet — it protects the planet by saving the energy used to heat, treat, and deliver water. Getting started is simple: Look for the WaterSense® label for performance and savings you can trust.
Why WaterSense?
WaterSense-labeled plumbing and irrigation fixtures have been independently certified to be at least 20 percent more water-efficient and — even more important — perform as well or better than standard models. Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the WaterSense label can be found on more than 12,000 models of tank-type toilets, shower heads, flushing urinals, bathroom sink faucets, faucet aerators and irrigation controllers. Since 2006, WaterSense-labeled products have helped consumers save nearly 757 billion gallons of water, 101 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, and $14.2 billion in water and energy bills. With a little “water sense” of your own and Home Depot’s selection of high-performing WaterSense labeled toilets, bathroom faucets, showerheads, and weather-based irrigation controllers, it’s easier than ever to achieve water and energy savings that pay off year-round while paying it forward to future generations.
Flush with Savings
Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Older toilets can use as much as 6 gallons per flush (gpf), but WaterSense labeled models use 1.28 gpf or less — 20 percent less water than the current federal standard of 1.6 gpf. Proven to provide equal or superior performance, WaterSense-labeled toilets have been tested to get the job done in one flush without clogging. By replacing old, inefficient toilets with WaterSense-labeled models, the average family could save more than $2,400 in water cost over the lifetime of the toilet.
Tap into Efficiency
Most of us know we can save water if we turn off the tap while brushing our teeth, but WaterSense-labeled faucets and accessories help save water when you turn on the tap, too. That’s because they use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), reducing a sink’s water flow by at least 30 percent compared to the standard flow of 2.2 gpm. Upgrading old faucets and aerators to WaterSense-labeled models can save the average family $15 annually in water and electricity costs!
Feel the (Shower) Power
Showering accounts for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use. At an average of nearly 20 gallons of water per shower, that adds up to about 1.2 trillion gallons of water used across the United States just for showering each year! Replacing one shower head with a WaterSense labeled model can save the average family more than 2,900 gallons of water each year — the amount it takes to wash more than 70 loads of laundry. If the potential for water savings isn’t enough to make a light bulb go off, consider this: replacing just one shower head with a WaterSense-labeled model saves the average family enough electricity in a year to power their home for 13 days!
Take it Outdoors
Don’t forget to rack up water savings outside as well, where the average U.S. home uses more water than most American homes use for showering and clothes washing combined. In fact, residential outdoor water use in the United States accounts for more than 9 billion gallons of water each day, mainly for landscape irrigation. As much as 50 percent of this water is wasted due to overwatering caused by inefficient irrigation techniques. But WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers use local weather data to act like a thermostat for your sprinkler system, telling it when to turn on and off. With proper installation, programming and system maintenance, these controllers save water, time and money.
No Need to Stop There
Looking for more water saving ideas? Look around your home. Do you have a dishwasher made before 1994? A dishwasher built before 1994 wastes more than 10 gallons of water per cycle. A new, ENERGY STAR® -qualified dishwasher will save, on average, 1,300 gallons of water over its lifetime. That means you’re paying an extra $40 a year on your utility bills. Replace one of these old dishwashers with ENERGY STAR and save enough money to pay for dishwasher detergent all year. How about your clothes washer? A full-sized ENERGY STAR-certified clothes washer uses 15 gallons of water per load, compared to the 23 gallons used by a standard machine. Over the machine’s lifetime, that’s a savings of 27,000 gallons of water.
WaterSense-labeled fixtures are available at a wide variety of price points and in a broad range of styles. As always, be sure to follow instructions on the individual product packaging. For more WaterSense-labeled product information or to find a rebate near you, visit www.epa.gov/watersense and find WaterSense on Facebook and Twitter.