Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon

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Fortunately, newer low-flow models are overcoming the problems of their infancy, and the Environmental Protection Agency's recently launched WaterSense label makes it easier to find them. To receive the label, toilets must be independently tested to show that they use, at most, 1.28 gpf and that they can successfully flush 350 grams of test media. Dual-flush toilets, those that have a full-flush mode for solids and a reduced-flush mode for liquids, use 1.6 gpf and .8 gpf respectively.

Bathroom renovators on a budget will be happy to know that a fair number of WaterSense toilets, such as the dual-flush Sterling Rockton 402027 ($230; www.sterlingplumbing.com, 888-783-7546), fall in the low-to-middle price range. Also, keep in mind that some water-strapped municipalities will provide rebates for water-efficient appliances, dropping that price even lower.

If you're really starved for water, you might consider shelling out big bucks for a composting toilet, which breaks down human waste into a nutrient-rich material that can be spread around trees and non-edible plants: Envirolet waterless, non-electric composting toilet ($1,400; www.envirolet.com, 800-387-5126).

Wasteful Showers

Although toilets use the most water in your bathroom, showers are rife with opportunities for waste, thanks to easy manipulation of low-flow showerheads and the rise in popularity of multi-head shower systems, some of which spew an astonishing 80 gallons per minute (gpm).

The bane of water conservationists everywhere, these systems are legal, thanks to a loophole in the federal standard that requires showerheads to pump out no more than 2.5 gpm. Since that only applies to single units, these multi-head systems can utilize a dozen or more.