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<br />REl'LAClNG YOUR WATER FIXTURES: DOES IT IWY'!
<br />
<br />Federal regulations now require all toilets,
<br />showerheads and faucets to be nUlllufactured to
<br />specifications which conserve waler. Jt1IY is ,!lis ,he
<br />(:asc 7 Because water COllsclvnliulI hus been
<br />rccognized, across the IHtlion, us beneficial. When
<br />water is used efficiently, more water rCllmins in
<br />streams . amI reservoirs for recreation, natural
<br />aesthetics, habitat for fish and other wildlife, and
<br />dilution of pollution. Dy extending supplies, protecting
<br />the environment and saviug muney, you help ens lire
<br />our/uture.
<br />
<br />What abont existing water fixtures in a home that has
<br />been constructed in the past twcnty years or s07 Is it
<br />worth the cost of the fixtures 8Ild U,e installation to
<br />replaco tho existing onc..r;1 For peoplo au municipnl
<br />water Bnd ,sewer, the savings in water and sewer cosle;
<br />alone, make it worth your wIule to replace toilels and
<br />showcrheads. This doesn't include the sllbstantial
<br />energy savings ($), or envirOJunental considerations.
<br />
<br />Ir YOII assume a household of four individuals, the
<br />water savings per day using a low now toilet'is 46.4
<br />gullul1s. Over n yeur, the savings is ubout 16,700
<br />
<br />gallonsl The cost of a good qualily low now toilet is
<br />about $120. Assuming two toilets in the house 8Ild
<br />$70 for Ihc inslallalion by a plnmber, you could expecl
<br />10 p"y $310 for the reholit or $240 if you do Ihe
<br />installatiun yoursclf. '
<br />
<br />The water savings for showerheads (again based on a
<br />family of fOllr) , is 60 gallons per day, or 21,600
<br />gallons per year. The cost of a high quality waler
<br />saving showerhcud is aboul $15. These deviccs are
<br />easily installed with a pair of vise grips and slip joint
<br />pliers or wrench. Assuming two showers per home,
<br />the eost tll retrofit is ubollt $30 and 20 to 30 minutes
<br />of your time.
<br />
<br />Wafer aud sewer rates vary throughout the region,
<br />fmm ahout $1.50 10 $6.00 per 1,000 gallons. You
<br />can use the graphs onlhe back to calculate the payback
<br />period based on your water 8Ild sewer rules.
<br />
<br />For a 2 toilet retrofit at $3.00 per 1,000 gallons in
<br />water costs, the payback period is a lillle over 6 years
<br />(if you were 10 install them yourself, the payback
<br />period would be less lIUUI 5 yenrs). That's nol too had
<br />if you consider that the
<br />lifesp8ll of a toilet is
<br />estimated to be 20
<br />years. At the same time
<br />you are helping the
<br />environment wit/lOut allY
<br />cIla1l8es to your
<br />lifestyle. This scenario
<br />assumes your current
<br />toilets do not leak.
<br />However, water nudils
<br />in the Denver area have
<br />shown Ihat 17 % to 33 %
<br />of the toilets exumined
<br />leak ul nn averago rate
<br />of 24 gallons per person
<br />
<br />INDOOR RESIDENTIAL FIXTURES
<br />
<br />A veruge number of gallons of wuter used.
<br />
<br />FIXTURE OLD RETROFIT WATER AVERAGE
<br /> (IIIGIl FLOW) tLOW FLOW) SAVINGS USE/DAY/
<br /> PERSON
<br />TOILET 4.5 gallllllsh 1.6 gallllush 2.9 gallIlush 4 f1ushcs
<br />SHOWER 5.5 gal/min 2.5 gal/nun 3 gal/min 5 nun
<br />FAUCET 3 gal/min 2.5 gal/min .5 gal/min *
<br />
<br />This figure uepcmls 011 JIlany factors; such as if dishes are lIune by
<br />hand, whether faucels are left runnilig while brushing leelh or shaving,
<br />the amount of cooking done at home, etc.
<br />
<br />*
<br />
<br />Ile.r day. If one toiiet in yonr home leaks at lhis rale,
<br />you, would save an additional 17,280 gallons per year
<br />b)' retrofittin8 that toilet suving you an additionnl
<br />$51. 84 per year. Your pnyback periud would then be
<br />just over 3 years.
<br />
<br />To use a showerhead example, at $2.00 per 1,000
<br />gllllons water costs, the showerhead replucement
<br />Pllyback period (the time it would take to pay for Ule
<br />cost of the replacements) would be just over 8 monilis.
<br />However, this takes inlo accounl only the savings in
<br />water costs WId does not include Ure cosl suvings for
<br />heating the shower waler! Bused on $.34 per cubic
<br />foot of natural gas, you would save an additional $62
<br />I"" year in water healing costs (this is a conservative
<br />number, nJld you'll probably save more). And savinga
<br />fnr electric water heaters will be much greater.
<br />
<br />Faucet aerators are inexpensive devices (up to a couple
<br />of dollars each). They mainly conserve wuler Ulal is
<br />used for was!ung " hWlds Wid face, or dishes. WiUI
<br />energy savings, in addition to water costs, these
<br />devicca are worUI installing.
<br />
<br />How well do these thill8s worKl lJased on a survey
<br />done in St,eBmboat Springs, users of water conserving
<br />tuilets, showerheads aud faucet aerators, were atlenst
<br />. 811 happy with water conserving fixtures as with non-
<br />cllnserving water fixtures. ConsWller Reports, in
<br />1990, fOllnd low nush toilels to work as well as
<br />cOllvelltionalloilets, and rnost consumers report beller
<br />water pressure with waler COllsclving showel'henus.
<br />
<br />HELP TI,m ENVIRONMENT
<br />
<br />SAVE SOME MONEY
<br />
<br />MAKE THE ClIANGElI!
<br />
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