How Low Can You Flow?

You may have heard that low flow fixtures, such as faucets, toilets, and shower heads, can reduce the amount of water used and save you money. But just how much of a difference can this simple plumbing adjustment make? You might be surprised to find that with a little initial investment, you’ll quickly recover the cost of upgrading your plumbing fixtures to low flow equivalents.

In a recent article by the San Francisco Examiner on low flow toilets, an average American family would save over 85 gallons of water a year. The estimated savings was $12 a month, or $144 yearly.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Low flow shower heads could save over a thousand gallons yearly according to the EPA’s WaterSense website. In another case study, a low flow upgrade at the LaGuardia Airport in NY will “yield annual water savings of almost $160,000, after an initial capital cost of only $90,000.”

Savings can be found at your toilet, faucet, shower head, and sprinkler system. CalWater has recently teamed up with FreeSprinklerNozzles.com to provide a free way for residents to enjoy water saving benefits.

Saving water reduces your utility bill, but why all the fuss about low flow? The reality is, even though 70% of the Earth is covered in water, less than 1% is safe and accessible for human use. With increased human population beyond anything in the planet’s history, we’re starting to see the effects of careless water use. There are over 2 billion people worldwide without access to clean water. By reducing our daily usage of water, we can assure that there will be a supply for generations to come.