Faucet Aerator: This Cheap Green Retrofit Is a No Brainer Water Saver

A faucet aerator is a water saving fixture that can be installed on a faucet to reduce the water flow. Conventional faucets allow the water to flow out in a fast stream. An aerator is a filter that forces the water to come out in droplets, which can drastically reduce water use while maintaining a steady, effective water flow.

A faucet aerator is a no-brainer green retrofit for anyone with a conventional faucet because they are very inexpensive, easy to install, and have a quick return on investment. Faucet aerators only cost about $4-6 on average, but can cut water use by more than half. Considering that faucets use more than 15% of the water in an average home, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cutting faucet water use with an aerator can have a significant effect on household water use. Plus, using less hot water from faucets also means using less energy for hot water heating. A home or building owner can easily install it in minutes without professional help, because it just requires screwing the aerator onto the tip of the fixture.

What to Look for in a Faucet Aerator

The flow rate you'll need for a faucet aerator will depend on what type of faucet you are looking to retrofit. Kitchen faucets typically require a flow of 1.0-1.5 (gallons per minute), while bathroom faucets only need 0.5-1.0 gpm.

When shopping for a faucet aerator, it's best to buy a WaterSense labeled model. WaterSense is a U.S. EPA program that labels products that are effective at reducing water use. Their faucet aerators cut water use by at least 30% from the standard 2.2 gpm without sacrificing performance. Installing a labeled aerator can cut a family's water use by an average of 700 gallons per year, or 40 showers.

Water and Cost Savings

Aerators can cost as little as $1, though many are in the $4-6 range. Some with special features, like a swivel, might get closer to $10. On the whole, though, they are very inexpensive.

The standard faucet has a flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm). Depending on the faucet aerator, it can cut water use to 1.5 gpm, 1.0 gpm, 0.5 gpm, or as little as 0.35 gpm. Clearly, the more water the device reduces, the more water and money it will save.

For example, let's imagine that you currently have a faucet with a flow rate of 2.2 gpm. Let's say you use the faucet for 30 minutes per day, so it uses 66 gallons of water daily, or roughly 24,000 gallons per year. The EPA says that the average price of water is $2.00 per 1,000 gallons, so this water use costs about $48.00 per year.

You buy and install a faucet aerator that costs $5. These are the estimated cost savings based on the aerator's flow rate:

1.5 gpm (32% savings): $15.36 (3.9 month payback)

1.0 gpm (55% savings): $26.40 (2.3 month payback)

0.5 gpm (78% savings): $37.44 (1.6 month payback)

0.35 gpm (85% savings): $40.80 (1.5 month payback)

As you can see, the $5 investment will easily pay for itself in less than a year if you use the faucet for 30 minutes a day. Of course, if you buy a cheaper aerator or use more water, the retrofit could pay for itself in an even shorter timeframe (and vice versa).