ShareThisMany of the "green" building techniques that we use today were incorporated in new home construction projects I worked on more than 30 years ago when I started in construction with our family business. Except we didn't call it green building, we simply called it commonsense building.Green building is building smart and building efficiently. And a big part of building a green home is making sure that the home will conserve water. Conserving water in a home is easy when the builder installs "user-friendly," water-saving plumbing fixtures.The good news is that even existing homes can install just three of these new efficient plumbing fixtures for an average family water savings of 15,000 to 18,000 gallons of water per year.Here's how saving water can be as easy as one, two, three:First, replace your faucet aerators. At the end of just about every faucet spout is an aerator control. Aerators soften the flow and control splashing. Replacing the standard aerators on faucets with new "water-saving aerators" can cut faucet water use by 30 percent, without having to replace your faucets.Second, install performance showerheads. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. New water-saving "performance" showerheads use 1.75 gallons of water per minute, but will still give you a strong flow. Check the manufacturer's specs to make sure you are buying a performance-type head. You should see a water savings in your shower of 30 percent as well.Finally, replace your old toilet. Toilets are the No. 1 water user in the home. New "HET" (High Efficiency Toilets) now deliver a strong flush and use only 1.3 (or less) gallons of water per flush. Standard new toilets still use 1.6 gallons per flush. Installing a HET can save at least 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of water per year per toilet.When buying a new toilet, look for the Environmental Protection Agency's "Water Sense" label on the toilet box. This will state that the toilet has been tested for strong flushing power with high water-savings potential.By doing just one or two of these projects you will see a big difference in your water consumption. But, for maximum water savings, doing all three is the key.(Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" and for hosting TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. For information visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande(at)hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
Saving water is as easy as one, two, three
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