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Water conservation is an issue of greater and greater importance. Water is absolutely essential. It is necessary for irrigation, personal hydration, sanitation, and industrial use. Less than one percent of the water present on the earth’s surface is drinkable. This drinkable freshwater is found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers. Approximately one-third of the world’s human population struggles with water shortages. The average American uses more than double the amount of water each day than most Danish, Austrian, or French citizens. Plumbers can speak into this even more.

In a natural setting with little human activity, 10% of precipitation becomes runoff, 50% is absorbed into the earth, and 40% evaporates. In an urban setting, such as Arlington, TX, 55% of all precipitation becomes run-off and only 15% is absorbed. This is bad news for reservoirs and aquifers and makes water conservation even more important.

Remodeling or renovations in your kitchen and bathroom are a good opportunity to improve water efficiency. A plumber can help you choose water-efficient appliances and fixtures that work with your overall renovation goals. There are also plenty of ways to improve efficiency even without large-scale remodeling projects.

Regular Plumbing Maintenance

Maintaining the plumbing in your home or business is one of the best ways to conserve water. Poorly maintained plumbing infrastructure wastes energy and water. Consult your local plumber to keep up on regular repairs and locate small problems before they become big problems. Leaks may not seem like a big deal in the bigger picture of water conservation, but small leaks add up to a lot of water.

One drip per second becomes nearly 5 gallons each day. That becomes almost two thousand gallons of wasted water by the end of the year. EPA statistics suggest that up to 10% of all American homes contain leaks responsible for at least 90 gallons of wasted water each day. Call a plumber as soon as you notice a leak.

Faucet leaks can also be caused by worn-down cartridges inside the faucet. A plumber can fix this fairly quickly. This may seem like an easy fix, but mistakes can lead to much costlier plumbing repairs. Excessively high water pressure is also a common culprit for leaks. Pressure can stop water from flowing in a certain direction, which causes backups and leaks in other faucets or pipe fixtures.

Other common causes of leaks include cracked or broken fittings, worn-out inlet or outlet seals and washers, or problems with o rings.

One of the biggest indicators of a hidden leak is a surprise increase on the water bill. If you can’t figure out where a leak is coming from, the problem may be a series of minor leaks throughout your plumbing, especially if you live in an older home or the plumbing hasn’t been inspected for a while. Older pipes installed before 1970 could be made of iron, lead, steel, or old, brittle plastics.

A damaged water line can lose water even faster than leaky pipes. Other problems, such as low water pressure or contaminated water, may occur as well. Call a plumber if you suspect a damaged water line. It is not a good idea to fix it yourself because you could end up with even more problems and potentially extensive water damage.

Water-Efficient Fixtures and Appliances

Plumbers play a key role in water conservation on a commercial and residential level. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures are an important part of residential water conservation. Replacing old toilet models with water-efficient models can save up to 360 billion gallons of water each year in the United States.

Low-Flow Toilets

An ‘old’ toilet in this sense is defined as a model constructed before the Energy Policy Act in 1994. Older toilets use from 3 to 6 gallons for each flush, while low flow models use approximately 1.28 gallons during each flush. Many consumers are concerned about the performance of water-efficient toilets, but most models have received satisfactory consumer satisfaction ratings in terms of flushing and cleanliness.

An energy policy act in 1992 required ll new homes and renovations to install low-flow toilet systems. This act went into effect in 1994, but plenty of older toilets are still in place in homes across America. Dual-flush toilets, which are already very common in Europe and Australia, have a lower flush option for liquid waste and a higher flush option for solid waste. Your plumber can tell you available low-flow toilets and help you choose an appropriate model.

Faucets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, finds that household faucets are responsible for approximately 15% of indoor residential water use. Water-efficient