Dive Brief:
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The use of water-efficient toilets — or those that use 1.6 or fewer gallons per flush — could save as much as 170 billion gallons of water annually across Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia and Texas, according to a report by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and Plumbing Manufacturers International.
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The study's findings translate to roughly 465 million gallons saved daily across states that have experienced severe water shortages, or up to 360 billion gallons annually nationwide.
- In the five states studied, eight in 10 (79%) toilets are already efficient. However, the current 4% annual toilet replacement rate could encourage doubling down on replacement programs to see the water-savings benefits sooner.
Dive Insight:
High-efficiency toilets and low-flow fixtures are a common way to reduce a home’s resource consumption for a relatively low upfront cost. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders, nearly two-thirds (64%) of builder respondents said they used water-conserving faucets and fixtures in homes constructed within the last year.
The industry is now exploring ways to measure that growing investment. One is the Residential Energy Services Network’s new Water Efficiency Rating Index. Developed with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the International Code Council, among other groups, the national consensus standard functions similar to a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score, but for water efficiency.
Many builders and developers have so far been using the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program as guidance when looking for products and strategies to manage water consumption in homes. In its latest corporate sustainability report, for example, builder KB Home noted that it built more than 11,000 new homes in 2016 with a WaterSense or a Southern Nevada Water Authority Water Smart program label.
