How to Green Your Water

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Dig deeper by perusing some of our thousands of posts.

The secret to saving water is a synthesis of good practices and good design. Keep an eye on the the TreeHugger archives for the latest methods and technologies.

1. Toilets
Dual-flush options are available from Caroma, and numerous others. This Argentine toilet design lets the sink water do the flushing. Here we have a link to a review of low-flow toilets To learn about test methodology for low-flow toilets (you’ll never guess) and the results of the rigorous trials, look here (test results here).

Composting toilets that TreeHugger has covered include the Bio-lux, a pricey Japanese throne. Here you’ll find a review of more composting toilet options.

The Propelair uses vacuum action to flush itself. The Athena replacement handle saves water by controlling flush quantity. Waterless urinals are made by many companies now, including Falcon and Waterless, and look here for a case study of the water saving potential of flushless urinals. The TwoFlush can turn any standard toilet into a dual flush fixture.

2. Clothes washers
LG’s steam-cleaning, front-loading clothes washer boasts 35% less water consumption than a conventional model. This clothes washer from Sanyo doesn’t use water at all, but creates ozone and fires it at your laundry. This washer from Bosch has earned high marks from Energy Star, and the sleek and efficient Washerman was a winner in the Electrolux Design Competition.

Check out our eco-laundry tips and green appliance comparison shopping.

3. Dishwashers
Check out the GE’s Profile SmartDispense dishwasher. And find some practical tips here. The University of Bonn pits the dishwasher against hand-washing. The winner is here.

4. Showerheads
Some showerheads that TreeHugger has investigated include: the Neco, the Tiara shower for two (or one, if you’d like), Bricor offers 1 gallon-per-minute heads, the Aqua Helix squeezes out an impressive .5 gallons per minute, and Real Goods has an affordable unit with a “pause” button. And if you have a tendency to lose yourself in the moment, a shower timer might also be a good idea.

5. Water heating
Point-of-use water heaters save water by delivering hot water almost immediately rather than making you wait for it while the tap runs. Some even use microwaves, and this Thermostatic fixture cuts the waiting time and looks sharp in the process. More solid tips on greener water heating can be found here.

6. Purifying water
See some of the neat developments in water purification for third world communities, including the LifeStraw, the UV Tube, the coffeground water filter. It has even been suggested to make water filters from old tires. Before he segwayed into transportation, Dean Kamen developed a water purifier: “If you could take all the diseases you could name, 80 percent would be wiped out if you just gave people clean water.” Hydro-Dis is a new three-stage disinfection system from Australia; Julie Frost, an Australian student, developed a clever pasteurization tool.

To learn more about your city’s water quality, check out National Tapwater Database.

7. Bottled water
If you have your doubts about the harm of everyday bottled water, wait until you see our coverage of strange waters: water that makes you skinny, water for dogs, water that is sung to and infused with good intentions, and water with gold in it. Some bottled waters like Biota and Jivita are now using containers made from cornstarch, also known as polylactic acid (PLA). While these are non-petroleum products and are, in theory biodegradable, they are not recyclable and most likely will never break down in your backyard compost pile. Some companies like Ethos and HtoO are doing constructive things with their profits, but they still are responsible for the many ecological impacts of bottled water.

Dig Deeper Into Other Sources

TreeHugger is one of many sources; here are some other great ones.

We can't even begin to scratch the surface of the resources available for making water use more Earth-friendly. Here are some starting points for insight and advice.

• Energy Star has pages dedicated to clothes washers and dishwashers.
• Peter Coombes, the Australian expert on rainwater research, has lots to offer.
• Rooftops to Rivers, an NRDC report on green Strategies for controlling storm water and sewer overflow.
• Bottled Water—Pure Drink or Pure Hype? A massive 1999 NRDC study of the bottled water industry.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a lengthy list of recommendations.
• Lester Brown wrote about how the world is running out of fresh water in 2000; it could have been written yesterday. See Grist's coverage.
• Grist also ran a six-part series on water privatization with Peter Cook and Maude Barlow.
• Is it okay to drink bottled water? Ask Leo Hickman of The Guardian.

Books worth reading

• The Ghost Map, by Steven Johnson tells the story of how mapping Cholera deaths in 1854 London led back to a single water pump.
• Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, by Marc Reisner tells the story of conflicts over water policy in the West and the resulting damage to the land, wildlife, and Indians.
• Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource, by Marq de Villiers.

Movies worth watching

• Chinatown: The classic film about the politics of water in 1930s California.
• The Man Who Fell to Earth: David Bowie looking for water, lots of it.
• Thirst: A film that tells the stories of communities in Bolivia, India, and the United States that are asking fundamental questions about water, the global commons, and human rights.
• Water: Tragedy by the Ganges.