Low flow options to save water
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Cost efficient plumbing fixtures are available, writes Anupama Mohanram
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Securing water resources and judicious use of water has become imperative and there is no better place to begin this than at home. An average family of 5 consumes about 24 tankers of potable water per year for flushing, bathing and washing and lets out that much waste water to be treated and disposed of or hopefully, recycled. A number of water saving plumbing fixtures such as low flow taps and flushes are currently available in the market that can help save water use in h
ouseholds. This translates to significant cost savings and can contribute to the well being of the society.
Taps and shower heads
Conventional taps and shower heads have flow rates upwards of 12 litres/minute at the standard 3 bar water pressure. Some taps/showers even deliver flow rates as high as 20 litres/minute. While people tend to look for high flow rates for home use, this results in enormous wastage of potable water. Low flow options are currently available as excellent alternatives to obtain water savings. Most of these low flow taps and shower heads have in-built aerators that help reduce the water flow. In addition, flow regulators can be opted for and installed to cut down flow rates. Flow regulators can cut down water flow to various pre-determined rates as required, to as low as 2.5 litres/minute in taps, and to as low as 6 litres/minute in showerheads at the standard 3 bar water pressure.
The estimated continuous tap and shower use time in a household of 5 is at the least, about 50 minutes/day for showering, washing hands and utensils. Using the conventional tap flow rate of 12litres/minute, this translates to water use from taps/showers of 600 litres/day/household. By using taps and showers with a lower flow rate of 8 litres/minute this consumption would be reduced to 400 litres/day leading to water savings of 33%. On an annual basis this could translate to water savings of 73,000 litres/year/household. . Assuming that flow regulators are installed on 8 taps in typical household of 5, an expenditure of Rs.2,000/- will result in savings of Rs.6,000/-per year using the average prevailing rate of a water tanker load in the city, resulting in a payback period of 4 months.
Water closets
The estimated water usage for flushing in a household of 5 is about 200 litres/day using a conventional flush closet. By using dual flush closets this can be substantially reduced. Currently two options are available: closets with a 6 litres or 3 litres per flush and closets with a 4 litres or 2 litres per flush, the latter being more water efficient.
By using a 6/3 dual flush, the consumption will be reduced to 75 litres/day resulting in water savings of 62.5%. By using a 4/2 dual flush, such as manufactured by Parryware and Cera, this consumption will be reduced to 50 litres/day; resulting in water savings of 75 per cent. On an annual basis, a 4/2 flush will result in water savings of 54,750 litres/year/household when compared to the conventional flush. Although a 4/2 dual flush system could cost from Rs.11,250 for 3 closets in the household, the cost of water saved due to this can translate to Rs.4,500 per year using a minimum rate of Rs.1,000 per water tanker load in the city, resulting in a 2.5 year payback period.
Other low flow options
Although priced higher than the low flow option above, push taps, soft touch and sensor based taps are further options to provide lower water flow rates. Push taps provide a water flow of 0.9 litres/push and its auto close mechanism with a built in control clock ensures minimal wastage of water. Soft touch and sensor based taps are electronically controlled either by light touch or by motion sensors. For a typical household of 5, water savings from use of dual flush and low flow taps and shower heads can be equated to saving at least 10 water tanker loads per year (12,000 litres per tanker). For a mid-sized multi-family apartment complex of about 60 residential units, this can be equated to saving 600 tankers of water per year for the complex.
Being conscious of and sensitive to the availability of potable water will further help to cut down water consumption and ensure water security for future generations.
The author is a LEED AP and green building consultant. www.greenevolution.in
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