Conserving Water

For both new or renovation home design conserving water is a major sustainability component.

“Over the past five decades, our need for water has tripled,” says Thomas Leigh.

As this precious commodity’s supplies dry up, the Peekskill architect states designers, contractors and homeowners have numerous procedures and products to conserve water.

Whether performed by professionals or as a DYI project, every house benefits from a water audit. Prices can start at less than $10.00. Locating even a small leak in a toilet can save up to 200 gallons being lost daily.

Want up-to-date information at the drop of a drip to prevent high water bills or other problems?

Companies, like Water Hero, offer sensor units. When strapped to existing water meters they monitor water flow, calculate water savings and detect leaks. Interconnected with WiFi, the app delivers instant information to any device.

Updating equipment also saves water.

If a commode dates to the early 90s, the time to retrofit is now, Leighs advises. Long gone are the days when a flush used up to seven gallons.  Swap out for higher efficiency models, The results are just the same with as little as 1.28 -gallon capacity. Additionally, faucets’ designs, in baths and kitchens, now enhance the preservation features.

Why waste up to 30% of household energy usage waiting for water to heat up? 

An investment in a recirculation pump or a gas-powered tankless hot water heater gives instantaneous hot water.

Get more green by killing off the turf and going native. Replace the lawn with depressed beds of plants natural to the region. Drought stricken areas and those with excess rain runoffs both benefit without losing luscious landscapes. Employing moisture-sensing control systems are gaining popularity among many water conservation-conscious homeowners and landscape professionals.

There is no denying water’s scarcity, but implementing new practices and equipment will save valuable resources and inspire future conservation methods.