In my quest to find why we use so much water for domestic needs, I measured our shower head output this morning. It measured exactly
2-gallons in 1-minute. Seems high. What is the recommended flow rate for water conservation?Dick
zero?
low flow is considered 2-2.5 gallons a minute.
take that 2 gallons, guess how long for each shower, multiply it by the number of showers in a month (estimate) and see how much of your water consumption is showering. my guess: this isnt the problem.
bigger worries: leaky faucets. lots of laundry. toilets that take 3 gallons a flush.
randy
ps, if you're really worried about it, get a showerehead with a valve on it and turn it off between rinses.
randy
Yes, it does. We are trying to unload the amount the leach field has to dispose of each day to reduce the number of times we get the septic pumped at $460 each. Had to do it 3 times since August. It isn't just domestic water use, but heavy rains that saturate the leach field. Can't do much about the weather, but can reduce the amount of water we put in it. If we have two showers each day at our
2-gallon/min flow rate, that's 60 gallons, or 40% of our daily water use. Eight flushes of two toilets at 3-1/2 gal/per is 56 gallons. That's nearly 80% of our total. The rest being drinking water, dish washer and clothes washer.I have on order two Toto UltraMax toilets which will help on that side. If we can limit our showers to 5-minutes each, that should help there. We already have a front-load Maytag which is very conservative of water use. We can try to stretch out our dishwasher use. That's about all we can do without getting ridiculous. I am also looking into a gray water system, but the requirements here are very restrictive, and don't know if I want to deal with the red tape.
Not trying to save water. Trying to save our septic system.
Dick
whether its a hoax or not, it still costs more to use more if they meter your water. use less, save money. no science needed.
randy
If your septic system has needed to be pumped three times since August, it's beyond saving -- that sucker is toast. Methinks a new leach field is in your near future.
Maximum Conservation Efficiency (MCE) is acheived at a flow rate of 0 gpm, but you're going to be walking around dirty or soapy. Here's another thought- it takes x amount of water to wash off y amount of soap. Hypothetical example: if the flow is 2gpm, let's say it takes 2 minutes to wash off the soap. If the flow rate decreases to 1gpm, it now takes 4 minutes to wash off the same amount of soap. Of course, there are psychological and comfort factors, but they can't be measured very well.
As you can tell, I belong to the "low flow does not conserve water, only wastes time" camp.
The water conservation issue is a hoax. First, there is plenty of water in the world. Second, more is being made every day as a result of fossil fuel combustion. Third, using water in toilets and laundry machines doesn't destroy it. Fourth, by putting water in your septic system or sewer, you are returning it to nature. Evaporation, cloud formation, precipitation, collection and use continue the cycle.
Here here,,,, first thing I do is remove the restrictor in the shower head. Faucets I leave alone. When I was traveling a lot I even carried a special pair of water pump pliers for the hotel room showers, if needed. Before I check out I would put the restrictor back.
I typically use 10,000 gal per quarter at $3.00 per 1000 gal. $30 per quarter. Conservation might cut this to $20 if I'm really lucky.
My guess is the fuel required to *heat* wasted hot water far outstrips the cost of the water itself.
Even better get a "navy" showerhead. It has a ring on a chain you have to pull down on to keep the valve open. Just like those emergency wash down showers located in places where hazardous stuff is handled.
Jeff
You are fortunate. We spend more than 3 times that on water. But, as I said earlier, saving water is not the issue. Saving the septic system is the goal.
Others in our situation in our housing area have "saved" their leach field by using a gray water system to give the leach area a "rest."
The regulations here are pretty strict. Can only be used for irrigation. Must be contained on your property. Cannot pool. Must have bypass back to sewer if clogged. Cannot be used for dishwasher, kitchen sink or even washing machine if it is used for diapers. System needs to be inspected, etc. etc. The rules go on and on.
Dick
:-)
Taking shorter showers can make a huge difference!
BB
That looks like a good clue to me. Also if your neighborhood is anything like mine, dig after dark.
my thoughts exactly, a new leaching field definitely and remember the saying "Conserve water, shower w/ a friend"
mike...............
I've been in hotels with those water miser shower heads. I've been tempted to buy my own shower head for just about that reason.
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