Household Water Efficiency

Residential water use accounts for 47 percent of all water supplied to U.S. communities by public and private utilities. Increasing water efficiency in this important sector can preserve more water for the environment and reduce water-supply, wastewater-treatment, and related costs for communities. RMI's water policy work addresses techniques utilities can use to encourage households to become more efficient; this page provides information that should be directly useful to you as a consumer.

There are many opportunities to use household water more efficiently without reducing services. If your water usage is near the U.S. average, you can probably save a third or more of what you now use at home, cut your annual water-heating bill by $20–40 (up to three times this amount if you heat water with electricity), and in some cases save substantially on the cost of septic tanks, leachfields, and other capital items. And your efforts will benefit the environment and your community as well as your pocketbook.

The most cost-effective steps to improve water efficiency are also the easiest. First, fix leaks by replacing faucet washers and toilet flappers as needed (a slow drip or leak can easily waste more than 100 gallons of water a week). Replacing showerheads and faucet aerators with water-efficient models takes just minutes and will typically pay for itself within a year. Other steps to consider include installing water-efficient toilets, buying a water-efficient horizontal-axis clothes washer, and creating more water-efficient landscaping.

Still more water can be saved by recycling "graywater," switching to alternative toilets and wastewater treatment systems, collecting and using rainwater, and other measures that are more likely to be cost-effective when building a new home.

• Water-Efficient Fixtures and Appliances
• Landscaping and Irrigation
• Graywater Systems, Composting Toilets, and Rainwater Collection
• Wastewater Treatment Systems
• Drinking Water Quality
• Civic Action: Promoting Water Efficiency, Protecting Rivers

• WaterWiser: The Water Efficiency Clearinghouse — an information service sponsored by the American Water Works Association in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Reclamation; see the Books (especially the Water Conservation Tips for Home and Residential Water Use Summary pages), Products Directory, and Links sections.
  
• National Drinking Water Clearinghouse — provides information and technical assistance on small community drinking water systems.
  
• National Small Flows Clearinghouse — information on wastewater alternatives for small communities and individual homes.
  
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse — an information service of the U.S. Department of Energy that also provides assistance with questions on home water use.
  
• Toiletology 101 — useful site with "everything you ever wanted to know" about maintaining your toilet and fixing its leaks.
  
• Local water conservation office — contact your local water utility to find out what information and services they offer.
  
• State water conservation office — some states have water conservation offices that provide publications or other assistance; your local water utility should know if such an office exists, and how to contact it.