Straight from the AJC “A bill that state lawmakers say will create a “culture of conservation” and potentially help douse Georgia’s water war with Florida and Alabama is all but a done deal.The state Senate passed its final version of the bill 52-0 on Wednesday, and the House quickly followed with a 166-5 vote on an identical version of the proposal. One chamber’s bill must now clear the other chamber before the legislation heads to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature.”
That Georgia has taken the lead nationwide for requiring low flow plumbing fixtures in new construction might seem like quite a surprise – the state hasn’t been known for its progressive policies in energy and water efficiency. However, when your largest city of 4 million people is threatened by a limited supply of drinking water, it becomes quite obvious how easy this must have been.
And it is certainly to be commended – there aren’t any other states that have actually passed legislation requiring more water efficient plumbing fixtures and set an implementation date. There is, however, one glaring problem. It does not account for any of the existing plumbing fixtures installed throughout the state, instead leaving that to local governments to figure out how to address.
So…Atlanta nearly runs out of water, and the only thing this legislation is addressing is new construction going forward? It wasn’t all the houses coming online in 2012 that dried up the state’s water supply – it is the inefficient fixtures that are installed across the state today, and unfortunately this legislation does absolutely nothing to address that.
But it’s a step in the right direction. Let’s hope maybe that will help demystify low-flow plumbing fixtures and reinforce how well they really work….
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When you check the balance of your bank account and notice that your spending habits are causing a deficit to your savings, what is your first, logical response? You can either spend less and be smarter with the cash you have, or you can look for other sources of income, either earning or borrowing more money. Likely most of us would do the former, and conserve as much money as possible before resorting to trying to increase our supply.
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The folks with the WaterSense® program are coming along quickly. While a few months ago only toilets and faucets could be WaterSense rated, the EPA is expected to come out with WaterSense labeled showerheads in Spring 2010 and has just released the new WaterSense® Single-Family New Home Specification. This is making it much easier for builders and home buyers to support water efficiency across the country and to support the RehydrateUS Initiative of reducing US water usage reduce water consumption in the US by 1 BILLION gallons per day.
WaterSense labeled homes continue the trend of WaterSense products – requiring about a 20% reduction in water consumption than in typical new homes built to current code. While we can easily hit a 40% reduction, the WaterSense standard is a good start, especially for folks who have been hesitant to dive full force into the newest water saving technologies.
Additionally, the homes will be independently inspected and certified by EPA licensed certification providers. These new homes will feature WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures, and go well beyond the RehydrateUS Initiative by requiring ENERGY STAR qualified appliances (if installed), water-efficient landscaping, and an efficient hot water delivery system.
While we need to immediately begin to reduce water consumption in our existing homes and buildings, we also need to implement water efficiency requirements for new construction.
According to the EPA, residential water use currently accounts for more than half of the publicly supplied water in the United States. Building a WaterSense home? Register it on rehydrateus.org!
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Welcome to Rehydrate US – an effort to reduce water consumption by 1 BILLION gallons per day – achievable through three easy steps. In your home, office, or anywhere – replace your toilets, showerheads and faucet aerators with more water efficient models and you’re on your way.
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