CHAPEL HILL - A new house in Chatham County that uses innovative water-saving appliances and construction design was recognized Tuesday by federal environmental leaders as the nation's first to meet standards of a new program promoting water efficiency.
The 2,560-square-foot model home in the Briar Chapel community, just south of Chapel Hill, includes numerous water efficiency features such as low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets, insulated hot water lines and a recirculating hot water system so people run less water waiting for it to get warm. Even the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came from Washington to look at all the features.
"Water is a resource we're going to have to preserve," said Kip Guyon, president of Vanguard Homes, which built the home. "Our incentive was to be a leader in the business."
The house's water-efficient design meets the voluntary specifications to be certified as a WaterSense home. The program, introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006, makes it easier for consumers to identify water-efficient appliances, much like the more familiar Energy Star program does with energy-efficient appliances.
Cary-based Vanguard Homes, one of seven builders participating in the pilot WaterSense program, is building about 75 houses in the 1,600-acre Briar Chapel community, all of which will meet the water-efficiency guidelines.
"All of the hot water lines in the house are insulated with one-inch foam insulation, which prevents heat loss as the water runs through the pipes," said Robert Smart, vice president of construction for Vanguard Homes. "That's a big one."
That means water stays warmer longer, so people turning on the faucet run less water waiting for it to get warm.
The dishwasher is 41 percent more water-efficient than conventional dishwashers, and the front-loading clothes washer is 82 percent better.
Dual flush toilets give people the option of using more or less water when flushing, depending on which way they turn the handle. That can accommodate small flush jobs or big ones.
Smart said that the base price for a water-efficient home of this design is $319,900 and that prices range from $260,000 to about $450,000. The basic water-efficiency features in the WaterSense program add about $3,000 to $5,000 to the cost, depending on the size of the home, he said.
"It doesn't have to cost a fortune," Smart said. "We certainly feel like we're adding well beyond that in value. The homeowner would realize reduced water and energy costs."
Stephen L. Johnson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said the homes built to WaterSense guidelines are designed to use about 20 percent less water than a conventional house.
"We wanted to encourage Americans to no longer take water for granted," Johnson said after touring the model home. "The home you see today is the future for our nation. We want more homes built like this one."
10,000 gallons
A 20 percent more water efficient home means that homeowners can reduce water usage about 10,000 gallons a year and save on their power bills.
"If you had a swimming pool in the back yard, that's enough to fill a swimming pool," Johnson said. If half the houses in North Carolina were built with similar water-efficient designs, he said, the state could save more than 300 million gallons per year.
Johnson said about 500 models of faucets bearing the WaterSense seal are now on the market and 200 models of toilets to replace inefficient fixtures.
"These are common sense things every consumer can do," Johnson said. "You don't have to build an entire house."
Products that have earned the WaterSense label have been independently tested to meet water-efficiency specifications set by the EPA.
The house also has a 1,700 gallon underground cistern to store water collected from the yard and roof to use for irrigation.
"Our goal is to not use any city water for irrigation," Smart said.