The Current: Winter 2023
Winter 2023 - Issue LIV
The WaterSense Current is a quarterly update dedicated to news and events related to WaterSense. Sign up to receive The WaterSense Current and get WaterSense news delivered right to your Inbox.
In This Issue:
- Ode to the Commode, the MVP of Water Efficiency
- Bust Inflation With WaterSense and Incentives
- Fix a Leak for a Flurry of Savings
- Niagara® Joins the Winner’s Circle
- The Home Depot Wins With a Wide Selection of Water Savings
Ode to the Commode, the MVP of Water Efficiency
Football season may be wrapping up, but let’s take a minute to recognize the real super bowl in your home! Toilets are one of the biggest water users in your home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of indoor water consumption. You can upgrade yours with a WaterSense labeled model to tackle your water bill and sideline water waste. The average family can score 13,000 gallons of water savings per year by replacing any old, inefficient toilets in their home with WaterSense labeled models!
WaterSense labeled toilets are available in a wide variety of styles and affordable prices, so you can game plan and pick the perfect model for your home and budget. Check out this Rebate Finder to see if your local utility offers incentives for WaterSense labeled toilets to save even more. Your new toilet will be the MVP of your water-saving home.
Think one of your toilets may have a leak? Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If after a few minutes color starts to show in the bowl, you have a leak, and chances are this is caused by a worn-out flapper. Blow the whistle on water waste and substitute that old flapper with a new one for just a few dollars. Check out this link to learn how!
Bust Inflation With WaterSense and Incentives
With inflation on the rise, you may be looking for ways to upgrade your plumbing fixtures and irrigation equipment without breaking the bank. Switching to WaterSense labeled products will not only save you water, energy, and money and ensure good performance, but you may even get a rebate for taking the plunge.
The average family spends nearly $1,300 per year in water costs but can save nearly $500 annually from retrofitting with WaterSense labeled fixtures and ENERGY STAR certified appliances. Save on your new fixtures so you can start racking up the utility bill savings; start in the bathroom by swapping out old, inefficient showerheads and faucet aerators with WaterSense labeled models.
Do you have an irrigation system? Considering installing a WaterSense labeled weather-based or soil moisture-based controller. These irrigation controllers use local weather data or soil conditions to tailor your watering to your landscape’s exact needs and only water when needed, saving water and money while keeping your yard lush and green.
Many utilities offer incentives to customers who purchase WaterSense labeled products to offset the cost. Check out the WaterSense Rebate Finder to see if your utility offers incentives in your area. Look for the WaterSense label as a guide when shopping to easily find affordable, water-efficient, and top-performing water fixtures.
Fix a Leak for a Flurry of Savings
Fix a Leak Week is March 20 through 26, but you can get a head start this winter by finding and fixing leaks in your home. The average family can waste 180 gallons of water per week, or more than 9,300 gallons of water annually, from easy-to-fix household leaks. That’s equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash 300 loads of laundry! Take a few minutes to locate and repair those pesky leaks and leave water waste out in the cold.
Start by looking at your water usage. Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak. Inspect your bathroom by checking faucets, showerheads, and toilets for plumbing leaks that could be drowning your water bill. See above for how to check for silent toilet leaks. Use the WaterSense Detect and Chase Down Leaks Checklist to help take inventory of the leaks in (and outside) your home as you investigate.
Leaks may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to water waste—are old plumbing fixtures leaving you cold? Upgrade them with affordable WaterSense labeled models and snowball your bill savings!
Niagara® Joins the Winner’s Circle
Niagara has created a cascade of savings, with its water-efficient toilets and outreach efforts that have earned it WaterSense Excellence Awards in the past. But this year, Niagara went over the top with a Partner of the Year Award for manufacturing and promoting WaterSense labeled products. In 2021, Niagara launched a suite of over 100 new WaterSense labeled toilets with a 15-year warranty. The manufacturer expanded its distribution and outreach by working with more than 20 agencies and signing agreements with over 50 new wholesalers to distribute WaterSense labeled products.
To spread the word about WaterSense and its line of new toilets to consumers, Niagara published more than 50 stories on water-saving products and case studies on water conservation. The manufacturer also ensures its representatives and wholesalers receive training on the benefits on WaterSense labeled products.
Education was at the center of its conservation efforts in 2021, as Niagara made presentations to plumbers and contractors on how to encourage customers to select WaterSense when upgrading their bathroom fixtures. Additionally, Niagara created courses for architects and engineers to earn continuing education units that highlighted the benefits of WaterSense labeled products, with an attendance of over 1,000 professionals.
The Home Depot Wins With a Wide Selection of Water Savings
Capturing yet another WaterSense Retail Partner of the Year Award, The Home Depot stocked its shelves in stores and online with a wide variety of WaterSense labeled products and styles for customers. In 2021, 100 percent of the toilets, bathroom faucets, and showerheads sold in U.S. Home Depot stores were WaterSense labeled models. With the sales of WaterSense products in 2021, The Home Depot helped to save an estimated 66 billion gallons of water!
The Home Depot also hosted a series of promotions on WaterSense labeled products to help customers save money and reduce their utility bills. Customers can visit the retailer’s rebranded, sustainability-focused Eco Actions website for information on WaterSense labeled products and easy ways to save water.
