Learn how you can save water at home, outside, and at the office - and find water-efficient plumbing products to help you out.

Water-Saving Plumbing Products

Conserving water - one of our most valuable resources - has never been easier with these excellent water saving products offered by PlumbingSupply.com®. Choose from our great selection of shower and bathroom products that will help reduce the amount of water needed for everyday use. Whether it's for your home, commercial space, or landscaping, think green during your next build and use some of these great water saving products to help protect our environment and save you money.

click any link below to learn more about how you can help save water


Learn how to check your home for leaks and save thousands of gallons of water

In the Kitchen

Easy ways you can help save water in your kitchen:
  • Fix leaky faucets, install a water efficient faucet, or put a new low-flow aerator on your existing faucet
  • Use a basin or fill the sink to wash dishes instead of running the faucet while you're scrubbing
  • Only wash a full load in the dishwasher - and scrape plates before loading instead of rinsing them
  • Compost the majority of your food waste and only run your garbage disposal when absolutely necessary
  • Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the fridge instead of running the faucet until it's cold enough for drinking
  • Catch leaks right away before they cause damage and waste water and turn off the water supply to your refrigerator, ice maker, or drinking water dispenser with a FloodStop water detection system



Did you know?
  • Washing dishes by hand can actually use much more water than using a dishwasher - especially if you have an ENERGY STAR qualified model which uses an average of 1/3 LESS water than non-qualified models. You could potentially save up to 5,000 gallons of water and 230 hours of your time each year.
  • You can save up to 8 gallons of water a day simply by reusing your kitchen water. Don't pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it. For instance, when you give your pet fresh water, reuse the old water for your houseplants.
  • It can be safer for your health AND conserve water if you thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator overnight rather than using water to defrost them.
  • Wasted food = wasted water - not only when you use your garbage disposal to dispose of food waste, but also in the amount of water it took to produce the food. Give back to the earth by composting your food waste. If you don't have a use for compost in your yard, offer compostable materials to neighbors or community garden projects.
- courtesy of www.epa.gov, 2014

In the Bathroom

Easy ways you can help save water in your bathroom:
  • Install a stylish new WaterSense® certified bathroom faucet - and use it wisely by soaping up your hands before turning on the water, turning the tap off while brushing your teeth, and making sure leaks are attended to right away
  • Take shorter showers and replace your old shower heads with WaterSense® certified low-flow shower heads. Or, keep your favorite shower head and use a shower flow regulator simply installed on your existing shower arm
  • Install a water-saving flow control with your existing shower head so you can slow the water to a trickle while you're shaving or shampooing to help conserve even more water
  • Add a ShowerStart system to your shower to help prevent wasting water while you're waiting for it to heat up - or consider installing a tankless water heater for instant hot water anywhere in your home
  • Fix a leaky toilet or upgrade to a new 1.6gpf low-volume or 1.28gpf high efficiency toilet




Did you know?
  • On average, 2/3 of all the water our homes use indoors is in the bathroom - and nearly 30% of all water usage in the home is being used by toilets. Read additional U.S water statistics.
  • Fixing a toilet leak is a great way to reduce household water use and boost water conservation. If your toilet has a leak, you could be wasting about 200 gallons of water every day. That would be like flushing your toilet more than 50 times for no reason.
  • WaterSense® labeled bathroom sink faucets and accessories that use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute can reduce a sink's water flow by 30 percent or more from the standard flow of 2.2 gallons per minute without sacrificing performance.
  • There are more than 300 million people in the United States. If each person reduced his or her shower time by one minute, we could save a combined 165 billion gallons each year!
- courtesy of WaterSense® program, 2014

In the Rest of Your House

Easy ways you can help save water in your home:
  • Inspect pipes regularly for leaks or damage and fix any problems right away. Take care to protect exposed pipes from being damaged or from freezing if you live in a colder climate.
  • Know where your master shutoff valve is located. This could save water and prevent damage to your home in the event of pipes bursting, toilets or faucets leaking, or other similar instances. Also, make sure you replace worn supply lines and shutoff valves.
  • Only use your washing machine when it's full - and install a leak detector that will shut off the water supply if ruptured hoses, cracked fittings, or even internal failures occur.
  • If you're building a new house or remodeling, consider setting up a greywater system. These systems allow you to re-use the water from your sinks, laundry machine and dishwasher for watering house plants and flushing toilets. Alternatively, ask your plumber to re-route greywater to outdoor areas where it can water trees or bushes.



Did you know?
  • The average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load, and is the second largest water user in your home. High-efficiency washing machines use 35 to 50 percent less water, as well as 50 percent less energy per load. If you are in the market for a new clothes washer, consider buying a high-efficiency, water-saving ENERGY STAR labeled model to reduce water and energy use. Also, consider a model that offers cycle and load size adjustments, which are more water-and energy-efficient.
  • ONE leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. A home with high-efficiency toilets could use that water to flush for six months!
  • Being handy around the house doesn't have to be difficult. Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easily correctable, in many cases requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.
  • Even without modifying your plumbing, you can recycle grey water at home today if you're willing to put a little elbow grease into it. Collect shower or bathtub water in a bucket. Dump the bucket into toilet bowls to flush the contents or use it to water the yard. HOWEVER, don't let collected grey water sit for too long: Within 24 hours, bacteria and other pathogens can multiply, turning safe grey water into hazardous (and stinky) "blackwater."
- courtesy of WaterSense® program and www.greenhomeguide.com, 2014

Outdoors

Ways you can help save water outdoors:
  • Landscape with native plants or hardy, drought-resistant plants that will use less water and grow better in your local climate. Also, group plants according to their watering needs to make your watering easier and more efficient.
  • Set up a drip irrigation system to water gardens, greenhouses, and outdoor plants instead of using a sprinkler system. Additionally, consider hand-watering your grass, as you're much less likely to over-water by hose than if you're using a sprinkler system.
  • If you use a sprinkler system for your lawn, make sure heads are functioning properly, not broken or leaking, and excess water isn't running onto paved or rocky areas.
  • Water in the morning or in the cool of the evening to reduce evaporation and ensure as much water as possible can sink into the soil - and remember, your lawn really only needs about 3/4" to 1" of water per week to stay healthy.
  • Instead of filling up the pool, running a sprinkler, or even turning on the air conditioning, consider setting up a misting system on your patio. While this may seem counterintuitive to saving water, mister heads typically use only about one gallon of water per HOUR, and can help cool off people, pets, and plants with minimal water and energy expenditure - especially if used in conjunction with an energy efficient fan. Read our helpful guide on how to install an outdoor misting system on your own. Save even more water by being diligent about turning the mister system off and monitoring for leaks when they're not in use.
  • Start collecting all that rainwater just running off your roof for use in watering plants, flushing toilets, or maintaining water features.
  • Replace leaking hose bibbs and consider freezeless hydrants if you live in a colder climate to avoid busted outdoor water pipes



Did you know?
  • Most of the water we use to irrigate landscapes is treated, potable drinking water. Preserve drinking water supplies by using alternative sources of irrigation water, such as greywater, reclaimed water, and collected rainwater. By reducing the amount of drinking water used for landscape irrigation, we reduce the burden on water treatment facilities. In addition, homes with access to alternative sources of irrigation water can reduce their water bills significantly.
  • Using native plants and landscape designs that optimize local conditions can reduce irrigation water use, as well as reduce soil erosion, lower maintenance costs, and preserve natural resources. Select plants that grow well in your area of the country and are appropriate given the amount of sun, rainfall, and soil type. Additionally, because native plants are adapted to local soils and climatic conditions, they typically do not require fertilizers, and are more resistant to pests and disease.
  • Rain barrels are mosquito-proof containers that collect and store rainwater that would otherwise wind up in storm drains and streams. The rain taken from barrels provides free "soft water" to homeowners - containing no chlorine, lime or calcium - making it ideal for gardens, flower pots, and car and window washing. A typical 55 gallon rain barrel can save the average homeowner about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months, or 40% of total household water use.
  • You can re-naturalize your lawn to conserve water. Don't mow, apply fertilizers and pesticides, or rake leaves. Spread mulch if you want to help kill back the grass within the naturalizing area. With time (2-5 years), this will allow native plants to take root, re-establish their presence through succession, and help restore natural habitat.
  • Manual watering with a hand-held hose tends to be the most water-efficient method of maintaining outdoor gardens and lawns, as households that manually water with a hose typically use 33 percent less water outdoors than those who use an automatic irrigation system.
- courtesy of www.epa.gov, 2014

At the Office

Ways your business can help save water:
  • Install water-efficient faucets, flush valves, flushometers, toilets, and urinals in your commercial restrooms - and check automatic sensors regularly to ensure they're working properly.
  • Upgrade dishwashers, ice machines, kitchen faucets, and similar appliances to energy and water efficient models, and train employees to use them properly and maximize efficiency.
  • Design water-smart landscapes that provide beautiful surroundings while reducing water needed for irrigation.
  • Keep indoor temperatures at a comfortable setting while increasing the efficiency of cooling towers, evaporative coolers, and boilers by using alternative sources of water, such as air handler condensate and captured rainwater.
  • Filter sediment from the water used for cooling systems to reduce buildup, and monitor cooling tower and boiler water chemistry to minimize the mineral buildup in the system and maximize the number of times water can be recycled through the system.



Did you know?
  • The three largest uses of water in office buildings and most other businesses (excepting food service, hospitality, and healthcare) are restrooms, heating and cooling, and landscaping.
  • Single-pass cooling systems generally use 40 times more water to remove the same heat load than a cooling tower - you can save significant amounts of water and money by installing an alternative cooling system. If eliminating single-pass cooling isn't feasible, consider other uses for the discharge water such as toilet/urinal flushing or landscape irrigation.
- courtesy of the WaterSense® program, 2014

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. "Why should I choose a WaterSense labeled faucet?"
A. Well, the numbers can speak for themselves: It is estimated that by installing WaterSense labeled faucets and accessories, the average household can save more than 500 gallons per year. Most of us know that we can conserve water by turning off the tap when not in use, but many may not know you can save water while using it with the right water saving faucet. The WaterSense partnership program is sponsored by the EPA which provides water conservation and quality guidelines for participating manufacturers. All products with the WaterSense label have had complete third party certification and testing to ensure they meet the criteria, which is to reduce water use by 20-30 percent with out sacrificing performance and also maintain high quality standards. Please note that due to state low-flow regulations, we cannot ship non-WaterSense certified lavatory faucets or showerheads to customers in Colorado. Please check to ensure the product you're selecting is WaterSense certified prior to ordering to help avoid any delays or problems with your order.

Q. "What kind of products are WaterSense labeled?"
A. Bathrooms are by far the largest water users in the home, accounting for more than half of all the water that families use indoors. Thus, you can find a wide range of lavatory faucets, showers, and toilets available with the WaterSense label. Just look for notes on the product page for the item(s) you've selected to find out which products we offer that carry WaterSense certification.

Q. "I don't see any WaterSense certified kitchen faucets on your site. Why don't you offer any?"
A. Currently, the WaterSense program doesn't offer certification for kitchen faucets. However, many companies (including some of our most popular brands like Delta, Danze, and Symmons) who manufacture WaterSense certified lavatory faucets have also found ways to make their kitchen faucets more water efficient as well. If you have questions about the flow rate or water efficiency of any of our faucets, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to provide you with as much information about a specific model as we can.

Q. "What are the new California Energy Commission water efficiency standards and how does this affect me?"
A. Effective January 1, 2016, certain plumbing fixtures will be required to comply with new California Energy Commission requirements for flow rate and water efficiency. Since the program began in 1976, it has continually worked to develop standards for energy- and water-using appliances and fixtures that will help Californians to conserve energy and water. To help the state deal with current and future drought conditions, only water-saving plumbing fixtures will be legally available for sale in California. Products like faucets, toilets, urinals, and shower heads are all affected by the new regulations.

Sold after January 1, 2016:
  • Public lavatory faucets & aerators must have a maximum flow rate of 0.5 gallons per minute or less (at 60psi)
  • Kitchen faucets & aerators must have a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute or less (at 60psi) - dual function faucets may have an optional temporary flow of 2.2 gallons per minute
  • Toilets must use a maximum 1.28 gallons per flush or less - or a dual-flush effective flush volume of 1.28 gallons per flush or less
  • Wall mounted urinals must use a maximum 0.125 gallons per flush or less
  • Other urinals must use a maximum 0.5 gallons per flush or less
Sold after July 1, 2016:
  • Lavatory faucets & aerators must have a maximum flow rate of 1.2 gallons per minute or less (at 60psi)
  • Shower heads must have a maximum flow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute or less (at 80psi)
Sold after July 1, 2018:
  • Shower heads must have a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gallons per minute or less (at 80psi)

What this means for the average consumer is that you can rest easy knowing that the product you're getting is compliant with the law - and will help you do your part to save water, our most precious natural resource. Additionally, it is important to note that current EPA WaterSense program requirements are not as stringent as the California Energy Commission requirements. Thus, not all WaterSense products may be compliant with the new laws in California. Please be sure to review the specifications of the product you're purchasing prior to placing your order as we cannot ship non-compliant products to our customers in California.



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