Elements of a Green Bathroom August 23rd, 2008 While kitchens
use the most energy in a typical home, bathrooms use the most
water. According to the U.S. EPA, a family of four could save
more than 16,000 gallons of water per year simply by replacing a
traditional toilet with a high-efficiency toilet. “A lot of what
makes a bathroom green has to do with water savings,” says Sean
Ruck, spokesperson for the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
“And consumers can easily incorporate a lot of items that don’t
look or perform any differently than traditional materials, for
about the same price.” Since 1994, federal standards have
required toilets, showerheads and faucets to use less water, so
if you replace pre-1994 fixtures with new ones, you’ll save
water right from the start. Low-flow toilets got a well-deserved
bad rap for poor performance when those standards first came
out, but newer models have largely fixed the problems. If you’re
still worried about getting a lemon, research your options at
the Saving Water