Saving Water

Posted: 02.24.2010

Tips for Saving Water Around the House

The Professor cedes the floor to LEED-AP building expert Tommy Linstroth, with tips for saving water in the home.

Posted: 02.15.2010

Water Conservation Put to the Test in Metro Atlanta

No one loves tests as much as professors. And no one loves a test of toilets more than Professor Toilet.

Especially when test results reveal a high grade of satisfaction when it comes to toilets, faucets and showerheads that save water.

American Standard identified 21 homeowners in two suburban Atlanta communities who volunteered to replace their existing toilets and bathroom sink faucets last fall with high-efficiency WaterSense®-certified models, and to replace their showerheads with the highly-rated FloWise showerhead that delivers an invigorating, satisfying soak while reducing water usage up to 40 percent.

After two months of measurement, green building consultant Tommy Linstoth, LEED-AP found an overall household savings of at least 25 percent.  The level of satisfaction has been higher than expected. American Standard has not received a single request to return to the higher-consumption products and several volunteers reported that the products exceeded their expectations, as well as the performance of their previous higher-consumption products. Learn more at Tommy’s RehydrateUS.org blog.

Below, Tommy explains the purpose of the test:

Posted: 01.27.2010

Green Lodging News ~ Torn in Two About the Benefits & Challenges of Dual Flush Toilets

Followers of Professor Toilet know that dual flush toilets can be a mixed blessing.  On one hand, dual flush toilets can save both water and money.

Glenn Hasek of Green Lodging News, notes the downside to some models regarding the small area of water in the bowl also known as the water spot:

“…some dual flush toilets do not clean the bowl as efficiently as traditional single-flush versions. Be sure to ask vendors about this. Without getting into too much detail here, you obviously do not want to leave your guests with a bad impression and you do not want to add to the work load of your housekeepers.”

Hasek echoes what the Professor has said before about dual flush toilets.  “Dual flush toilets that use a siphonic design have a water spot the size found in standard toilets.“  Learn more from Toilet Scientist Jim McHale and follow Hasek’s blog at Green Lodging News:

Posted: 12.08.2009

Read Any Good Water Bills Lately?

If water conservation is the goal, do you know how to read your water bill?

In today’s lesson, Tommy Linstroth, founder of RehydrateUS.org, helps demystify the water bills from the City of Atlanta.  Linstroth is consulting with American Standard on a water efficiency test for two Georgia neighborhoods.

Most bills have a fee for water use and sewer use, both of which are based on how much water comes through the meter at your house. Utilities typically assume that the same amount of water coming into your house (your water bill) is the same amount leaving in the sewer (your sewer bill). Thus the two fees are directly related.

Water is often billed  in a unit of hundreds of cubic feet, shown as CCF.  One CCF (or hundred cubic feet) = 748 gallons of water.

Unfortunately, by measuring in such large units, there’s not that sense of satisfaction Americans are used to in seeing numbers going down, such as reducing a grocery bill with coupons or losing weight.

And with water so inexpensive, there isn’t even the fun of seeing significant cost savings, similar to the dramatic change that homeowners see when upgrading to higher efficiency heating and cooling equipment.  Use this water savings calculator to see how much you can save with your local water rates.

The good news is that if you lower your home water consumption, you’ll lower not only your water bill but also your sewer bill, and likely your electric bill.  Less water coming into your house, less going into the sewer – everybody wins. Learn more and take the water efficiency pledge at RehydrateUS.org.

Posted: 11.16.2009

American Standard at Greenbuild 2009

American Standard Brands was on the scene at the 2009 Greenbuild show that just wrapped up in Phoenix, AZ.

Posted: 11.03.2009

H2Option Toilet Demo and Comparison by American Standard

Stay clean while going green.   H2Option is first dual flush toilet with jetted bowl cleansing.    Using as little as 0.8 gallon of water on the low setting, H2Option scours the sides of the bowl to remove every last trace of paper and waste.    The Professor believes everyone deserves a clean bowl with every flush.

Posted: 09.14.2009

“Water as a Catalyst for Development, Peace and Security”

American Standard Toilet Scientist Jim McHale reporting from World Water Week:

Jan Eliasson addressed World Water Week

Jan Eliasson, President of the United Nations General Assembly 2005-2006,  spoke on “Water as a Catalyst for Development, Peace and Security.”

While existing technologies offer significant conservation potential for developed countries, there was much discussion at World Water Week about impoverished nations and the estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide who lack basic levels of sanitation.

In addition, a majority of the 2,500 experts in attendance urged the world community to include water as part of global climate change negotiations. After all, it’s hard to overlook the ramifications of a resource that makes up two-thirds of the Earth’s surface.

< World Water Week Report Part 1

Posted: 09.02.2009

The Message of World Water Week: Water Efficiency Works; Better Sanitation Needed for 2.6 Billion People

Jim McHale (center) w/Jonathan Kaledin & Brian Richter of the Nature Conservancy

American Standard Toilet Scientist Jim McHale traveled to Stockholm in July 2009 to join World Water Week, an international gathering of water community leaders discussing various water management and sanitation topics, hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

Professor Toilet presents Dr. McHale’s report:

Part 1:  High Efficiency Plumbing Credited with Water Efficiency; New Efforts Are Outside the Bathroom

Part 2:  Water as a Catalyst for Development, Peace and Security

Posted: 09.02.2009

High Efficiency Plumbing Credited with Water Efficiency; New Efforts Are Outside the Bathroom

World Water Week was held in Stockholm, Sweden

American Standard Toilet Scientist Jim McHale reporting from World Water Week:

I had the opportunity to attend several talks from leaders of municipal water utilities. A Los Angeles representative presented data that showed that LA’s total water usage has remained flat over the last 25 years despite an additional one million people living there.  The water efficiency is attributed mainly to low-flow toilets.

So many water-efficient products are in Los Angeles area homes now that the representative said, “The single-family home opportunity is pretty much saturated.” An interesting metaphor, indeed.  Future water efficiency efforts in Los Angeles County will focus conservation on public use.

Another presenter, from the Southern Nevada Water Authority had a similar view, speaking of indoor household water conservation in Las Vegas as being played out. They are focusing conservation efforts on outdoor usage like household and commercial irrigation.

Water efficiency solutions were of interest in not only drought-plagued regions. In Philadelphia where water is plentiful there is no special focus on conservation at all. Utilities in that city are focused on finding green solutions to reducing storm run-off.

World Water Week is organized and presented by  The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

World Water Week Report Part 2 ›

Posted: 08.20.2009

The Case For Water Efficiency: Atlanta’s Creative Loafing Magazine

Tighten the spigot | Atlanta | News & Views | News Feature.

Lake Lanier

In July, a federal court ruling declared that the Atlanta metropolitan region was never authorized by Congress to use Lake Lanier as a source for drinking water.    The nation’s eighth  largest metro standard to lose it’s largest source of drinking water in 2012, unless the state can convince Congress to authorize the continued use of Lake Lanier for drinking water.

This article from Atlanta’s Creative Loafing magazine cites statistics from  American Rivers that the region could save up to 210 million gallons per day–approximately the same amount drawn from Lake Lanier–by:

- Offering rebates on high efficiency toilet and faucets.
- Investing to fix leaky pipes.
- Encouraging different landscaping that requires less water use.

The article notes that the state’s own estimates find that conservation would be 27 times cheaper than building new reservoirs.

High-efficiency fixtures also save money for homeowners.  Know your local water rate?  Enter it into the American Standard Water Savings calculator to see just how much.