Most people realize that the less water they use in their household, the more money they’ll save when the water bill arrives at the end of the month. But that’s not the only benefit of conserving water; it prevents a precious natural resource from being wasted. That’s why it’s reassuring to know that a government program is available, WaterSense, that provides guidelines for conserving water. The joint U.S.-Canadian program, among other things, certifies water-efficient showerheads, faucets and other plumbing fixtures.
Following are some tried-and-true methods to save water in your Alberta area home:
Start in the shower, with a combination of effective water-saving strategies and a WaterSense-certified low-flow showerhead. When deciding between a bath and a shower, choose the shower, which nearly always uses a lot less water. Just stay in the shower long enough to wash yourself. Low-flow showerheads deliver under 2 gallons of water per minute, and as long as your home has sufficient water pressure, the water spraying from the low-flow showerhead will have plenty of oomph.
Next stop is the toilet. In most homes, this is where a substantial amount of water is wasted. Choosing a WaterSense-certified low-flow toilet typically will result in water savings of 20 percent over an industry-standard toilet that uses 1.6 gallons per flush. Certified models also do a good job of removing all of the waste, so you don’t have to worry about flushing twice. Consider upgrading to to a dual-flush toilet, which uses less water when the waste is liquid.
Similarly, you can save water and money by utilizing low-flow bathroom faucets. Modern bathroom faucets cannot exceed a minimum standard of 2.2 gallons per minute, a much lower amount than the 3-7 gallons that faucets delivered before the early 1990s. Like with showerheads, low-flow bathroom faucets will provide plenty of water pressure (as long as the house has adequate pressure). When using the faucet, avoid keeping the water running when it’s not being used, such as when you’re brushing your teeth.
For more information on saving water in your Alberta home, please contact us at Arpi’s Industries.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about water efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
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