Submitted By: Rosalind Kim (Rosalind.Kim@gmail.com)
Challenge
How to conserve water at our home without spending a lot of money.
Solution Details
One day while reading the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) newsletter that comes with our bill, I saw a small notice indicating that EBMUD offers free conservation adaptors for the home. I went to their downtown Oakland location (information at the bottom) and this is what I got and installed in our home:
I. An energy efficient showerhead reduces water use by 50% or more. Not only are you cutting water use in half but you also save in energy used for heating hot water for showers by as much as 50%. EBMUD gave me two of these and they work very well.
II. Energy efficient aerators for the kitchen and bathroom sink faucets allow a flow of no more than 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) as compared to old faucets that use 5 gpm. (Don't confuse these with standard screen aerators which do not reduce faucet flow rate). You just unscrew the end of the faucet and attach the new aerator. EBMUD had a couple of models.
IV. Toilet tank bags (filled with water) displace the amount of water needed to flush the toilet. Just fill these bags with water and hang them inside your water tank.
I've installed each of these items without much trouble and they're all working great. I'm conserving water and I can hardly tell the difference.
Benefits & Payback
I've learned that conserving water not only saves water, but saves energy as well. It takes a surprising amount of energy to move water around and deliver it to our homes, and hot water obviously has to be heated (usually by burning natural gas).
Informational Links
How to obtain the above units (you give them your address and you indicate how many of each you need for your house):
EBMUD 1-866-403-2683 (open from 8am – 4:30 pm) You might want to call ahead of time to make sure that they have an ample supply. If you do not want to drive there, EBMUD will send you a questionnaire and they will mail you the items you need.
There are two locations:
A. 375 – 11th St. (bet. Franklin and Webster), Oakland
B. 1100 – 21st St. (bet Adeline and W. Grand Ave), Oakland
Website: http://www.ebmud.com/
Direct link to tips: http://ebmud.com/conserving_&_recycling/water_smart_tips/default.htm
