H²O Home Solutions
By Doug Hurth, Building for Health
With only 1% of the water on the earth's surface usable for humans, we need to do our part to conserve this precious gift.
It's easy to conserve water without changing any of your daily habits with these fixtures that are readily available locally.
Water Conservation
Dual flush toilets were developed by an Australian named Charles Rothauser in 1981. Because Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world, legislation in 1993 made it compulsory to install dual flush toilets in all new construction. These toilets are designed with a button for number one (0.9 gpf) and a button for number two (1.6 gpf).
Low flow showerheads and faucets use half the water of regular heads and faucets while giving you the same water pressure. Most are designed to use .5 gpm and some even have a sensor to only use water when your hands are in front of it.
Composting toilets were first developed in 1971 by Hardy Sundberg for his cottage in Sweden. These self-contained units produce waste consisting of over 90% water which evaporates into the atmosphere through a vent and the rest of the waste is a material that can be recycled into fertilizing soil. They are odor-free and have to be cleaned very infrequently. On average a family of four with a regular toilet will use over 27,000 gallons per year. The composting toilet requires no plumbing and wastes 0 gallons of water.
Water Filtration
A healthy body functions best with a pH balance between 7.35 and 7.45. Chronic disease, diet, lifestyle, stress, antibiotics, toxicity, and aging tend to turn our bodies more acidic, leaving us in an unhealthy state. The Ionizer Plus is a water purifying system that not only removes chlorine and other toxins, it also allows you to control the pH balance of the water. The result is purified water that helps you absorb minerals and enhances antioxidants in your body.
Shower filters provide a healthier shower and prevent the natural protective oils found in your skin and hair from drying out-as commonly happens with chlorinated water. A ten minute shower or thirty minute bath in chlorinated water is worse than drinking a half gallon of it because of the amount of chlorine your pores absorb and the steam vapors you inhale.
For the ultimate clean water experience at home, the whole-house system is the way to go. This system uses three processes to purify your water. The first step is a potassium based water softener, which removes hardness and eliminates scale build up in your pipes. Next the water travels through an activated coconut shell carbon filter which removes chlorine and reduces possible unwanted contaminants. The final stage is a double H2O purification system which gives you 50 gallons a day of pure drinking water.
Energy Efficient Water
Never run out of hot water again, by installing a tankless water heater. These units only heat water when it is in demand; therefore you can save up to 50% of your hot water energy a year. A computer-controlled electric ignition means there is no pilot light burning nonstop. You can earn a $300 tax credit by installing a tankless heater that meets the right requirements.
Solar water heaters are an excellent way to have free hot water. Solar panels mounted outside have water pipes running through them that supply your water tank with hot water while the sun is shinning. These systems can provide up to 85% of domestic hot water energy. 
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