Do people take longer showers to compensate for reduced flow rates?
January 2017 – AN INDEPENDENT MaP RESEARCH REPORT: Has showering and water consumption changed over the past 17 years? Some experts claim that by reducing shower flow rates, people just take longer showers to compensate. Is this true? Comparing results from the two North American Residential End-Use Studies of Water (1999 and 2016), the report examines how showering habits have changed and resultant changes in water savings.
January 2017 – AN INDEPENDENT MaP RESEARCH REPORT: When do people take their showers? Intuitively, of course, we all think we know when most people shower. Are we right or wrong? This report analyzes data from the 1999 and 2016 Residential End-Use Studies of Water to see how shower time-of-day habits may have changed over the 17-year interval.
January 2017 – AN INDEPENDENT MaP RESEARCH SUMMARY: Has residential faucet water consumption (lavatory and kitchen) changed over the past 17 years? Comparing results from the two North American Residential End-Use Studies of Water (1999 and 2016), this summary chart shows how little (if any) savings have been achieved, in spite of a very significant reduction in average faucet flow rates. QUESTION: Are further mandated reductions in faucet flow rates really justified by expected water savings in the home? YOU decide!!
2016 – This ‘look-back’ at the water consumption levels of major indoor residential appliances and plumbing fixtures provides some rather startling accomplishments. Download this one-page summary of 30 years of reductions (originally appeared in the PERC Phase 1 report).
In 2006, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) voted Indoor Plumbing as the Most Important Medical Breakthrough in the Scientific and Medical Industry over the last 150 years. Click here to learn more about this and other advancements.
Over the past several months, MaP has been conducting an online visitor survey at map-testing.com asking about the current plumbing standard for toilet water use. Here is what our readers say.
Question and overview: Most toilets sold today flush with 1.28 gallons (4.8L) or less and yet easily out-perform older 1.6 and 3.5 gallon models. Mandating a maximum flush volume of 1.28 gallons would not impact consumer satisfaction but could save hundreds of millions of gallons of water every day. In total, 83% of the 6,859 respondents specified that they were consumers, vs. 17% self-listing as industry professionals.
Principal, Koeller & Company
Office – 714.777.2744
Mobile – 714.757.0679
Email – jkoeller@map-testing.com
Principal, Gauley Associates, Ltd.
Mobile – 416.677.6193
Email – bill@gauley.ca
