After the toilet, the shower is the second heaviest water user in the home, using up to30 percent of total household water.

Reducing your showerhead flow rate is a very practical way to reduce water consumption during bathing. It not only reduces your water bill, it reduces your sewer and energy bills as well. Given the relatively low cost of low-flow shower heads, this method of water conservation has a very short payback period, often as short as a few months.

An alternative to installing a low-flow showerhead is installing a flow restrictor into the supply line. This often gives a less-than satisfactory shower. Given the affordability of quality low-flow shower heads, this approach is not recommended.

A cut-off valve, either incorporated into the shower head design or installed just above the shower head, does provide an alternative to reducing water use. Cut-off valves allow one to shut off the flow to the shower head while soaping up.

Typical non-conserving showerheads have flow rates of 5 to 8 gallons per minute, meaning that a typical 5-minute shower would send about 25 - 40 gallons of fresh water down the drain and into the sewer. By contrast, modern low-flow showerheads use only 2.5 gallons per minute, or 12.5 gallons for a 5-minute shower, reducing water demand by at least 50%.

Some early low-flow shower heads provided weak or narrow spray patterns. Today, there are many styles and designs of low-flow shower heads offering adjustable and pulsating spray patterns.

Many low-flow showerheads incorporate pressure regulators, designed to deliver a steady flow rate regardless of system pressure changes. A flexible piece relaxes under low pressure, and flexes under higher pressures maintaining a relatively constant flow rate.

For even greater water efficiency, there are dozens of brands of showerheads now available that are even more conservative but still offer excellent performance. These ULF showerheads use between 0.8 and 1.5 gpm, or no more than 7.5 gallons for a 5-minute shower. ULF showerheads either draw in air, or have it forced into the water stream by using compressed air. The air-water mixture under pressure creates a high velocity spray, which makes it seem like much more water is coming out than actually is.

Shower water can be reused for landscape irrigation!
Click here for information on gray water re-use.