Water-Saving Tips and Products

More and more people are recognizing that saving water isn't just good for the environment, it's great for your pocketbook as well. To save the earth and money, start by choosing fixtures for the bathroom and kitchen that are certified to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense criteria (www.epa.gov/watersense). For the bathroom, that means investing in toilets that use less than 1.28 gallons per flush (60% less than toilets made before 1992), as well as low-flow faucets and showerheads. For the kitchen, you should choose a faucet that meets WaterSense standards, which require aerators that limit flow to 2.2 gallons per minute or lower. For the biggest water guzzlers in the house, dishwashers and clothes washers, you can get models that lower the amount of water used from 33 gallons per load to less than 15 gallons per load. All of these reductions add up to hundreds of dollars per year, and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your appliances and fixtures. So follow these 13 tips and products to help you save both water and money, without sacrificing style.

by Jennifer Haupt