Saving Water as it Warms Up

Waiting for hot water to get hot wastes about 10,000 gallons of water per year in an average household of four people. So says the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in a brochure suggesting that customers collect that water in a bucket for watering plants or flushing the toilet. That’s a great idea, but unlikely to be popular with most homeowners. A new company, 21st Century Water Systems, has a better idea. The company produces several lines of equipment designed to collect and re-use water that would otherwise go down the drain as homeowners wait for hot water to arrive at their taps.