Waterefficient

Waterefficient describes devices, systems, or practices designed to reduce water use while maintaining required performance. It spans residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial settings and emphasizes minimizing waste, reducing losses, and promoting reuse where possible.

Key approaches include high-efficiency fixtures and appliances, water-saving irrigation, leak detection, and design choices that lessen demand. Examples include low-flow toilets and taps, high-efficiency dishwashers and washing machines, and intelligent irrigation controllers with rain sensors and evapotranspiration-based scheduling.

Standards and labeling programs help consumers identify waterefficient products. In the United States, the WaterSense program certifies fixtures and appliances that meet efficiency and performance criteria. Other regions run similar schemes, such as WELS in Australia. Metrics commonly express water use as gallons or liters per unit of service, such as per flush, per cycle, or per minute.

Benefits include reduced water bills, lower energy use for heating water, and conservation of local supplies. Implementing waterefficient solutions may involve higher upfront costs or maintenance requirements to sustain performance, but lifecycle costs are often favorable. Effectiveness depends on climate, household behavior, and system design.

See also: water efficiency; water conservation.