Faucet

Bathroom and kitchen sink faucets account for 16% of the water used in an average home.

Federal Plumbing Standards now specify that kitchen faucets use no more than 2.5 gpm and bathroom faucets use no more than 2.2 gpm, though several use less quite effectively.

You can save up to 40% of the water used by sink faucets replacing your older faucet aerators with new water efficient ones.

Installing an aerator – the screw-on tip of the sink faucet – can be one of the most cost-effective water conservation measures your household can do because they control the flow of water through your faucet.

This is especially true if your sink faucets are older and don’t have aerators, since some older models can use 5 or more gallons per minute (gpm).   If a faucet aerator will not fit on your existing sink faucet, you may want to replace it with a WaterSense faucet.

Many water providers give low-flow aerators out to their customers for free, or you can purchase one at most home improvement stores for about $1-5.00 each.

Waterwise tip: Deck more than the halls by making sure your kitchen and bathroom faucets are decked out with water-efficient aerators. At under $5.00 a pop, replacing older faucet aerators – the screw-on tip of a faucet – with new water-efficient ones can be one of the most cost-effective water conservation measures your household can do.

Interesting fact: According to WaterSense, leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. A home with WaterSense labeled toilets could use that water to flush for six months!