On Sept. 24, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a draft WaterSense specification for showerheads for public comment. Once this specification is finalized, consumers will be able to renovate their bathrooms with a full suite of WaterSense-labeled products: toilets, faucets and showerheads.
The WaterSense draft specification for showerheads sets the maximum flow rate at 2.0 gal per minute at a flowing pressure of 80 lb per square inch. As with all WaterSense specifications, the draft showerhead specification includes performance criteria to ensure that consumers will not have to sacrifice water coverage or spray intensity in order to achieve water savings.
As one of the leading uses of water in the home, showering accounts for nearly 17% of residential indoor water consumption. For most households, that’s nearly 30 gal per day. In fact, by installing high-efficiency showerheads, the average household could save more than 2,300 gal of water and enough electricity to power their television use for about a year. These reductions could add up to as much as $50 per year in water and energy bill savings.
Comments on the draft specification are being accepted through Nov. 9, 2009. For more information on the WaterSense program or the draft specification for showerheads, please visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
Source: EPA