(Photo: EPA)

Last month the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released specifications for high-efficiency bathroom sink faucets that will trim faucet water consumption by 30%, saving the average household more than 500 gallons annually. Faucets that qualify for the WaterSense label will use just 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm); that compares to the 2.2 gpm required under federal law, and the 3 to 7 gpm used by older faucets. Because faucets account for more than 15% of indoor household water use, EPA projects that a switch to WaterSense faucets will yield considerable water and — by reducing the demand on water heaters — energy savings. If consumers converted the nation’s 222 million bathroom sink faucets to WaterSense labeled models, it would save $650 million in energy costs and more than 60 billion gallons of water each year.

• Read more: WaterSense high-efficiency bathroom sink fact sheet (PDF, 70 KB)
• Read more: “EPA Preparing the Way for High-Efficiency Toilets; WaterSense Units Will Cut Toilet Water Use by 20%,” (e-Newswire, 2/07/07)
• Read more: “New EPA Program Helps Consumers Improve Their WaterSense,” (e-Newswire, 6/14/06)
• Tour the California Urban Water Conservation Council’s “H2Ouse” Water Saver Home
• View the BeWaterWise.com “Watering Calculator“