Across the United States, an increasing number of homeowners want to make their home more sustainable. A truly sustainable home has low energy needs, a low carbon footprint, and a significantly reduced need for resources. One of the key elements of sustainable living is reducing the water consumption of a home.
Water is a basic need but it can also come with a heavy cost. The process involved in getting a clean water supply to your taps is one that takes a toll on the environment. The rising cost of water across the country also makes water an expensive commodity, on average the cost has increased by 50 percent over the past 7 years.
Clearly, from an environmental and financial perspective, fine-tuning your home's water usage is a smart idea. Here are three simple ways that your plumber can help you to create a home that uses and manages water in a sustainable way.
According to the Washington Post, in the U.S., over 1 trillion gallons of water are wasted each year due to leaky taps and pipes. This is a shocking figure and even more so because it's so easy to remedy. In your own home, a single leaky faucet can lead to around 34 gallons of water wasted each year. Add in a few other leaks and you may have a huge amount of water going to waste.
A plumber can give your home what is effectively a wastage audit. Identifying these leaks and fixing them will reduce your water consumption and your water bills. Fixing leaks is also a smart move for better home maintenance. Leaks can cause mold, wood rot, rusting, and structural damage, particularly in less visible parts of your home.
Another way that your plumber can help you make your home a more sustainable one is to replace your existing water fixtures with water savings products. This includes faucets, toilets, showerheads, and irrigation systems. Simply improving your irrigation system can reduce your home’s water consumption by at least 20 percent and reduce your annual water bills by a third.
When choosing new water fixtures for your home, you should look for products with a WaterSense label from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A WaterSense product will meet the strict criteria that the EPA requires for water saving ability and sustainability.
For an average American household, around 30 percent of the water consumed is used for outdoor purposes. This includes watering the garden and lawn as well as cleaning items like cars, pathways, and driveways. Installing a rainwater collection tank can make a massive difference to your water consumption and your water bills.
The rising popularity of rainwater collection tanks means that there are plenty of affordable options available on today's market. Installing your tank and connecting it to your home's gutters and downpipes is a quick and easy task for your plumber that will have a big impact.
Installing your rainwater tank in an elevated position means that gravity will provide the water pressure that's needed to use the water from the tank. If an elevated position isn't possible, then your plumber can also install a small pump. For a more sustainable option, you can opt for a solar-powered pump.
The team at Michigan Plumbing have experience with the full range of plumbing services. We're well equipped and fully able to help you to create a home that is water efficient and more sustainable. Contact us to schedule an appointment. We’ll come visit your home so that we can accurately assess the work that needs to be done.
