The Consortium distributes the following water conservation devices at community eventsand workshops throughout the year. These devices are also often available through localwater providers upon request.

Aerator:

Aerators are the screw-on tip at the end of most modern faucets. Aerators control the flow of water through your faucet by mixing air with the water as it flows through your faucet. Be sure to ask for WaterSense labeled aerators or faucets when replacing kitchen or bathroom faucet fixtures or parts with new ones – they can reduce a faucet’s water flow by 30 percent or more without sacrificing performance. Estimated cost: $1-5 each.

Fill cycle diverter:

The fill cycle diverter is a simple plastic device that can be used to retrofitolder toilets that use 3.5 or more gallons of water per flush. The diverter directs more water to the toilet’s tank and less to the bowl while they refill so that they finish filling at roughly the same time. Once installed, a fill cycle diverter will save about .5 gallons of water with each toilet flush. Estimated cost $1-5.

Toilet dye tablets:

Dye tablets contain dye that dissolves when placed into water. You can use them to determine whether a toilet has a leak. Similarly food coloring can be used for the same purpose.

High efficiency showerhead:

Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water or more each minute they are used. High efficiency showerheads can use up to 50% less water than standard showerheads, and WaterSense labeled showerheads are third-party tested to ensure they meet EPA water efficiency and performance criteria (i.e. you will not have to sacrifice a good shower in order to achieve water savings!). Estimated cost: $5-20.

Watering gauges:

Watering gauges are small cup-like devices that can be used to measure the amount of water that your sprinkler uses over a given time. Once you know this, you can create a set watering schedule that delivers just the right amount of water to keep your landscape healthy and vibrant. A tuna can and a ruler can also be used to conduct this test.

Other conservation devices that might interest you:

Toilet tank displacement bag:

One way to retrofit an older toilet is to install a toilet tank displacement bag in your toilet tank. Once filled with water, the bag will displace about .5 gallons of water in your toilet tank so that your older toilet will use less water each time it is flushed. Estimated cost: $1-2.

Water flow rate bag:

This bag is used to determine how much water comes out of a faucet or shower over a given amount of time. You can also use a bucket to measure the flow.