High-Efficiency Bathroom Sink Faucets

Most of us know we can save water when we turn off the tap while brushing our teeth (as much as 3,000 gallons per year!), but did you know that there are products that will help save water when you turn on the tap too? WaterSense, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is helping consumers identify high-performance, water-efficient bathroom sink faucets and faucet accessories that can reduce water use in the home and help preserve the nation's water resources.

Faucet Flows

Faucets account for more than 15 percent of indoor household water use—more than 1 trillion gallons of water across the United States each year. Even though federal law requires that new faucets not exceed 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm), older faucets can flow at rates as high as 3 to 7 gpm.

High-efficiency bathroom sink faucets and accessories such as faucet aerators can reduce this standard flow by more than 30 percent without sacrificing performance. We could save billions of gallons each year by retrofitting the country's 222 million bathroom sink faucets.

The WaterSense Label

WaterSense labeled bathroom sink faucets will use no more than 1.5 gpm and will have completed a third-party certification process that includes independent laboratory testing to ensure products meet criteria for both performance and efficiency. Faucet accessories—products that can be easily attached to existing faucets to save water—must complete the same certification process and meet the same performance and efficiency requirements to earn the WaterSense label. All faucets and faucet accessories that obtain the WaterSense label will have demonstrated both water efficiency and the ability to provide adequate flow, even in homes with lower water pressures.

WaterSense Savings

By installing WaterSense labeled bathroom sink faucets or faucet accessories, an average household will be able to save more than 500 gallons each year. Also, since these water savings will reduce demands on a home's water heaters, households will also save energy. Achieving these savings can be as easy as twisting on a WaterSense labeled aerator, which may cost as little as a few dollars.

If every household in the United States installed WaterSense labeled bathroom sink faucets or faucet accessories, we could save approximately $600 million in energy costs and more than 60 billion gallons of water annually—enough to meet public water demand in Miami for more than 150 days!

Look for WaterSense Labeled Faucets and Accessories!

Look for the WaterSense label on faucets in 2008! Whether replacing an older, inefficient faucet that's wasting water and money, or simply looking for options to reduce water use in your home, choose a WaterSense labeled bathroom sink faucet or faucet accessory. Next time you wash your hands or brush your teeth you'll know that you're doing your part to help protect our precious water resources.

For more information, please visit the WaterSense Web site (www.epa.gov/watersense).

This document is also available in PDF (1 pp, 200K, About PDF).