When a house is listed for sale in Colorado, the seller can fill out a green disclosure form to indicate what "green" or environmentally friendly qualities the house has. Many of the terms on the form are specific terms, often abbreviated, that may be unclear. Let's go over them and discuss what they mean.
The fourth item is "Water Efficient Features." The form's options are: Low Flow Toilets, Low Water sod, Xeriscaping, WaterSense by ENERGY STAR, Low Flow Fixtures/Shower Heads, Hot Water Recirculation Pump/Structured Plumbing, and Greywater System.
"Low flow toilets" use less water per flush than standard toilets, specifically 1.28 gallons per flush or less. This is significantly less than the 6 gallons that older toilets may use and 20% less than the current standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. Since toilets account for approximately 30% of a home's water consumption this saves quite a bit of water. Low flow toilets are identifiable by their "WaterSense" labels. More information is available on the EPA WaterSense site, http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/toilets.html
"Low water sod" means having a lawn made of turf grass, which consumes less water than other types of grass. Choices for turf grasses that grow well in Colorado and require relatively little watering are discussed on the Colorado State University Extension site at http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Lawns/turfchoi.htm
"Xeriscaping" is an approach to landscaping intended to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental water. It is an excellent choice over turf grass when the soil is sandy or compacted and the site is fast draining. A guide to xeriscape planning is available from the Colorado State University Extension site at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07228.html
"WaterSense by ENERGY STAR" is more than just a certification for low flow toilets. It's a certification available for a variety of water-using products like faucets, showerheads, and irrigation controls. The EPA's site for this program is available at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/index.html
"Low flow fixtures/shower heads" as certified by WaterSense can save an average of 2900 gallons of water per year by reducing flow on shower heads and 700 gallons per year by reducing flow on faucets. In addition to saving water, this reduced flow also lowers demand for hot water and saves energy. Read more at http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/showerheads.html and http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/bathroom_sink_faucets.html
"Hot water recirculation pump/structured plumbing" mentions two things. A hot water recirculation pump keeps a small amount of hot water moving through pipes near a fixture so that the water does not cool between the time the fixture is shut off and its next use. Structured plumbing is designed to minimize transportation times for hot water. eHow explains hot water recirculation at http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5598345_recirculating-work-hot-water-system_.html A brief elaboration on structured plumbing is available at http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/strategies/increase-efficiency-structured-plumbing
A "greywater system" uses the heat in water that has gone down the drain to warm new hot water flowing to the fixture. This is done by sending new cold water through a copper tube tightly wrapped around the drainpipe. Using a greywater or drain water heat recovery system can increase your system's capacity to generate hot water and save you energy. Read more at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/drain-water-heat-recovery
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