Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this if: You care for the environment and you want to cut your water consumption

Gain: Saved valuable water resources and a substantial amount of money saved from your water and gas bills

Cost: between 12 and 70 $ for a water saving showerhead

Saving water resources on the planet is one of the ecological issues which all of us have heard but few take action on. Unfortunately, it’s a common trait to take measures only after a problem has started to affect us personally. As long as people are not facing water scarcity, they believe access to water is an obvious and natural thing. Many places in the world are running out of water and people there are fully aware of the real value of this resource and they don’t take it for granted.

Saving water resources is both beneficial for the environment and good for your budget and still more -you’ll feel satisfied that you are a wide-awake and public-spirited person.

The current situation with the world water resources

The World Water Council has issued a report stating that while the world’s population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population is expected to increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth, coupled with industrialization and urbanization, will result in an increasing demand for water and will have serious consequences on the environment.

There is more waste water generated and dispersed today than at any other time in the history of our planet: more than one out of six people lack access to safe drinking water, namely 1.1 billion people, and more than two out of six lack adequate sanitation. 3900 children die every day from water borne diseases (WHO 2004).

The World Water Council is predicting that as water resources become scarce, tensions among different users may intensify, both at the national and international level. Over 260 river basins are shared by two or more countries. In the absence of strong institutions and agreements, changes within a basin can lead to international tensions.

Water saving showerheads effectively reduce water consumption

It’s obvious that timely measures should be taken to prevent a major water crisis from happening. On one hand, it’s a responsibility of the governments to cooperate and improve the situation, but on the other hand, we as individuals can contribute to saving the water resources.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), showering is one of the leading uses of water inside the home, representing approximately 17 percent of annual residential indoor water use in the United States. By using a water saving showerhead, you can cut water consumption by up to 40%. The current standard for low-flow heads is 2.5 gpm at 80 psi. Some showerheads deliver only 1.6 gpm. Such showerheads can save a family of four up to 17,000 gallons of water a year. This purchase will pay off both in terms of saving the environment and saving you a large amount of money from your water and gas bills.

Plus, water-conserving shower heads are inexpensive ( prices vary between 12 and 70 $) and easy to install. Two users of water saving showerheads say:

“I had heard about the EcoCamel shower head a few times in the last year or so and had always thought “what a good idea, I must get round to trying this” but never did. Eventually, my husband ordered one on their website after seeing it in the paper. When it arrived, we did the flow rate test against our old shower head and could not believe the difference. This little device has cut our shower’s water consumption down from 18.5 litres per mintute to 7! I have now received my latest gas bill and there is a considerable difference. “

“I save money on the water bill, the sewer bill, and the natural gas bill (used to heat the water) I should have gotten it months ago!!!!”

The techniques used in water saving showerheads

Some people are concerned that a water saving shower head delivers a meager trickle of water which is barely sufficient for washing. While severely restricting the amount of water which can flow through the shower head is one method for saving water, there are better techniques to use. Some water saving shower heads are so well-designed that people may not notice the difference between them and conventional shower heads.

One of the techniques that make this type of showerhedas more efficient is the inserting of programmable settings which can be used to adjust the rate and intensity of the water flow. Another method applied in aerating shower heads is to mix water with air, reducing the overall amount of water that’s needed.

Some models include a gadget which sounds an alarm when you exceed 35 litres of water during showering. This is the amount recommended by the water efficiency group Waterwise.

How to choose a water saving showerhead model

Before you buy, check that a water saving shower head is suitable for your type of shower and that you like the way it feels when you are using it. One way to test water saving shower heads is to take note of shower heads at hotels. Most hotels use water saving plumbing to save money, and if you think that a hotel has a particularly good shower head, you can ask about the maker and model. You might also ask friends and acquaintances if they already have one or read reviews in the Internet.

Other ways to reduce water consumption

• Turning off the water while you shampoo and condition your hair and you can save more than 50 gallons a week.
• Fixing leaking faucets and toilets that flush themselves. Research has shown that an average of 8% (or more) of all home water is wasted through leaks. Fixing a leak can save 500 gallons of water each month. You can check with your local government agencies and utility companies for rebates on water-saving fixtures.
• Turning off the water faucet while you brush your teeth, wash your face, or shave can  save up to 4 gallons of water a minute. That’s 200 gallons a week for a family of four.

See our review of the top water saving shower heads out there.

If you found this an enjoyable read you might also be interested in this piece on the Water Bobble.