water saving tips - shower

by Josh Dorfman
TODAY
updated 4:35 p.m. ET, Fri., Nov. 14, 2008
Fresh drinking water makes up just one percent of the Earth — a tiny number when you consider that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average American household of four uses about 146,000 gallons of water annually (that's the equivalent of 100 gallons per day per person).

And a recent government study cited by the EPA reveals that at least 36 states anticipate water shortages on a local, regional, or statewide level by 2013. Any way you pour it, water is a big deal, but there’s good news for Lazy Environmentalists. A few simple and affordable changes can dramatically reduce consumption levels. You can also save money as you save water. The EPA estimates that simple conservation techniques can help the average household reduce its yearly water and sewer bills by $170.

Start with the shower
Your daily eight-minute shower uses about 20 gallons of water. Take a shower once a day and it adds up to 7,300 gallons per year. With that much water, a typical family of four could fill its own medium-size swimming pool, wash 4,152 loads of laundry, or make 166,115 pots of Campbell’s soup.

Thankfully, you don’t have to sacrifice your hygiene to conserve water in the shower. A strategic showerhead is all it takes. WaterPik — creator of the original massage showerhead — recently introduced the Ecoflow. The low-flow showerhead utilizes the company’s patented optiFLOW technology to deliver a spray that’s comparable to most standard showerheads, yet uses 40 percent less water. Ecoflow uses 1.5 gallons per minute, while the standard showerhead gushes out a whopping 2.5 gallons per minute. The showerhead also features a water pause switch so you can prevent waste when waiting for the hot water to kick in or while lathering up. Waterpik-store.com's fixed-mount Ecoflow models start at $19.99 and a handheld version is available on the site for $29.99.

Evolve has designed a series of water-saving showerheads that run cold water until the temperature reaches 95 degrees and then stops the flow to a trickle. This way hot water doesn’t release until you actually step into the shower and turn the valve to release the flow.

So you can shave, make the bed, bake cupcakes and catch the end of “Oprah” without wasting gallons of water and all the energy required to heat it. Multiple showerhead styles are available, including the Roadrunner low-flow showerhead, delivering strong water pressure with just 1.59 gallons per minute ($39.95, Evolveshowerheads.com). The company estimates that the Roadrunner saves eight gallons of water for every five-minute shower when compared to standard showerhead models.