Lifecycle Benefits of Domestic Water-Efficient Fittings and Products

Utilising alternative, sustainable, water efficiency innovations, such as water-efficient showerheads, waterless composing toilets, aerated taps, water-efficient dishwashers and steam washing machines opposed to standard devices has the ability to optimise water efficiency and reduce living expenses, while helping conserve this natural resource. The study presented in this chapter aimed to investigate whether the alternative, innovative water-efficient products and fittings can optimise water efficiency and cost effectiveness in residential dwellings. Water consumption, lifecycle costs and payback periods are compared between the standard and innovative devices over a 15-year period. Local costs from the major cities in Australia were used for the calculation. It was found that $7295-$28,785 per occupant can be saved over 15 years if all devices are used. Also, depending on water prices and locations, savings of up to 78.5% can be achieved with only 0.10 year of payback period in some cases.