Smart indoor water use is important.
A low-flow faucet is one that limits the flow of water out of the spout. A special adapter or mechanism in the faucet’s cartridge called an “aerator” or flow regulator slows the water flow as you operate the faucet. 
The flow regulator is screwed into the end of your faucet fixture (you can feel this tiny screen with the tip of your finger). Low flow kitchen faucets allow a flow rate of around 1.5 gallons per minute.
Here’s a tip to find out if you have a low-flow faucet.
- Get a 4 cup measuring cup.
- I’m using a large 32 oz (4 cup) plastic cup from Newk’s (love their sweet tea!).
- Hold the cup under the faucet and turn on the water at full pressure.
- As the water runs, count 15 seconds.
- Measure how many cups of water (did your Newk’s cup run over?… I hope not!).
- Convert the number of cups to gallons (16 cups in a gallon) to determine how many gallons per minute. For this exercise multiply the number of cups by 4.
If your measuring cup is running over, dump the water and start over. Reduce the count to 8 seconds and multiply the number of cups by 8 to determine your “gallons per minute” flow rate. What about my bathroom shower head? A low-flow shower head will equal about 2.5 gallons or less. What is your rate?
I filled my Newk’s cup to the brim in 15 seconds. That’s actually better than the EPA – Environmental Protection Agency recommended usage rate. YA ! ME !
The 2013 WaterSense Partner of the Year application period is now open! Find out who the 2012 winners were at epa.gov/watersense/par…
— EPA WaterSense (@EPAwatersense) January 25, 2013
Smart outdoor water usage starts here.
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