Use drinking water for your WC or your garden? Such a waste ! Avoid this waste when building your house in Gironde. The new house in Gironde as in all the South-West must today be concerned about its water consumption. Following the heat wave and the fires of summer 2022 which affected the department and the whole of the South-West, here are some tips for preserving water resources.
Why save water in the new house?
Preserve a vital resource
France is a lucky country, where the water resource is not lacking. Nevertheless, many French regions are experiencing water supply problems during the summer period and this phenomenon is expected to intensify due to global warming. So we need better manage the resource and avoid as much as possible to tap into fossil reserves. Whereas today the houses are more and more energy efficient with the RE 2020, eco home builder as Maisons Sic also takes into account the water consumption of the inhabitants.
To learn more about green home building in the Southwest, read this article from our Blog.
To save money?
On average, the water price is estimated in France at €4,14/m3, but prices vary greatly from one municipality to another. The association What to choose made a comparison of water prices in the South West (regions New Aquitaine et Occitania). The cubic meter is €2,94 at Périgueux, €4,25 to Arcachon, €3,63 to Bordeaux , €3,78 to Toulouse and even reached €6,74 in Escazeaux, in the Tarn-et-Garonne and €7,07 in Pineuilh, in Gironde. THE water price which has already increased by 10,7% on average over the past ten years, could rise further in the coming years. Other measures are also mentioned, such as the implementation of quotas, or progressive tariffs, as reported by the Southwest newspaper.
Where to save water at home?
The French consume a lot of water: 143 liters of drinking water per day and per person according to Ademe, the Ecological Transition Agency. Only 7% of this consumption corresponds to drinking and meal preparation. We use drinking water primarily to wash ourselves. Baths and showers represent 39% of household consumption. It is then the toilets that consume the most with 20% of our consumption.
More economical toilets
9 liters of water just for one flush ? Hunt for disproportionate hunts! Choose toilets with dual flushes that reduce water consumption by up to 30%. THE toilet models themselves have also changed, with tanks that are also smaller. free-standing toilet ou Wall-hung WC, the models that equip the cnew constructions offered today by the builder Maisons sic will ensure that your water consumption is reduced to a minimum.
Equip your new home with water-saving taps
With its two taps, the mixer, if it offers a retro style to our homes is less water efficient than the mixer. The latter makes it possible to adjust the temperature and flow rate of the water in a single gesture, resulting in reduced water consumption of up to 40% for thermostatic mixers which supply water at a pre-set temperature. Prefer devices equipped with flow reducers or aerators and foamers which are placed on the spout of the taps of the bathroom or Food. These amenities clever allowsave water in the new house without realizing it, mixing air with water to reduce the flow without reducing the pressure and the comfort of use.
Shower or bathtub in a new house?
A bath consumes an average of 130 liters while a shower consumes only 70 liters for a duration of 7 to 10 minutes. This is especially true if you are using a energy-saving hand shower. On the same principle as the aerators, this one offers the same comfort as a conventional hand shower but limits the output flow by optimizing the pressure of the jet. THE rain showers much appreciated at the moment, on the other hand, consume much more drinking water.
Discover here our advice to help you choose your bathroom equipment in a new home.
Collect rainwater from a new house in Gironde
What uses for rainwater in a new house?
The principle is to collect water of gutters, pass it through a filter to rid it of impurities, and store it in a tank usually buried. The recovered water is not considered drinkable and must be used for very specific purposes. The most rudimentary systems will serve to water the garden, to clean the car etc This rainwater can also be used to supply the toilet or washing machine through the installation of a rainwater network in the house.
Which rainwater harvester?
From the simple tank placed under the gutter, to the complete system of distribution of rainwater in the house, rainwater collectors save you serious money. There legislation on the use of rainwater in new homes prohibits any mixing between rainwater and drinking water. A plumber will know how to create the installation adapted to your new house in Gironde. THE network of rainwater will be totally independent of drinking water. a pictogram specifying the character Undrinkable water will be affixed to the faucets. Rainwater will be used to supply the toilets, the washing machine, the garden tap, etc. In the event of a lack in the tank, the system will automatically switch to the drinking water network. Savings are therefore made without thinking about it and in complete safety!
Gray water recycling
On the same principle, the gray water recycling en new house in Gironde consists of reusing slightly dirty water for non-food use. Thus the water coming from the washbasins or the shower passes into a recycling unit (filter, membrane, UV…), where it is rid of its impurities. Gray water from the sink, on the other hand, is too greasy to be reused. However, these systems are more expensive on a daily basis and are really profitable for large families. The installation with independent network and buried tank is done according to the same principle as for the recovery of rainwater and the two can be combined.
Water is a scarce resource. Being more and more polluted, the treatments to make it drinkable are more and more expensive. Building your house in Gironde is an opportunity to limit your impact on the environment, but also to save money in the long term. The installation of these systems during construction will be cheaper alternative only if the work is undertaken afterwards.
Do not hesitate to talk about your project to your new home builder in the South West Maisons Sic, who will be able to advise you on the most suitable products for individual house model that you want to build.
