13 Innovative Water Saving Concept and Product Designs

According to recent reports about 1 billion people in the world lack access to clean drinking water and there are millions of people who succumb to water-related diseases annually. These figures aren’t only surprising, but also make the privileged think about that the hundreds of liters of water that is wasted each day in their bathrooms. Here is a list of 13 Innovative Water Saving Concept and Product Designs that might be useful in saving liters of freshwater from going down the drain. I know you might think the money saved via using these water-saving products is not worth comparing with their price. But it is still good to see more and more effort is put on this issue and hope we can have affordable solution to save water, preserve the environment as well as save money.

1. POOR LITTLE FISH basin [link]

As consumption is incalculable, saving is often neglected through daily consumption. Rather than forcing people to consume less, thus depressing the using experience, Poor Little Fish basin offers an emotional way to persuade consumers to think about saving water, by making consumption tangible.

There is a traditional shaped fish bowl in the Poor Little Fish basin. While using, the level of water in the bowl gradually falls (but does not actually drain out); it will go back to the same level once the water stops running. As well, the water from the tap is pure, as its pipeline does not connect to the bowl.

2. Urinal and Sink Combo

To save water, Eco Urinal is designed to use the water that was used for washing hands to flush the urine. By this process, we don’t have to use water twice after using the urinal. Moreover, it reduces the establishment expenses by optimizing the materials. Upper space of this urinal is made with glass, and it helps to secure a clear view for users. It also promotes people to keep their sanitation because people need to wash their hands to flush the urine after use.

It’s obviously compact and perfect for any loft space or small apartment, and its sleek design houses a nifty self-contained grey water system that is capable of reducing water use by up to 25% compared to a standard 6/3-liter dual flush toilet. It’s a much trendier and elegant solution to existing sink to toilet grey water systems.

The system uses Roca’s “water-reuse technology” and also features an automatic cleaning system that avoids flushing bacteria into the unit’s built-in cistern, cutting down on unpleasant odors.

The “Mindful Shower Head” above try to remind you the water usage amount by a visual way, while this one just give you more directly touching feeling – makes you stand uncomfortably.

The concentric circles are pretty wonderful when not in use. However, after showering for a long time, they will rise to force you stop showering, accordingly saving water.

Designed by Reamon Yu, the iSAVE faucet features an LED display that reads the amount of water that is being used. This simple information encourages users to reduce water pressure to save more water. Another exciting feature of the product is that it doesn’t require any external electrical connection to power the LEDs as it is equipped with a turbine that actives as the water pressurizes it to generate electricity.

Faucet Buddy is a cool little chrome gadget you latch onto you existing sink fixtures. It tells you how hot or cold the water is so those morning surprises are no more. Of course, just like any real buddy it’ll tell you if you’re a water rat; wasting our natural precious resources.

The Foot Pedal Faucet controller allows you to control a faucet hands-free. The devices are efficient and promise to reduce water consumption by as much as 50 percent. The design makes it easy to save water when you’re brushing your teeth of doing the dishes.

The Waterpebble by product designer Paul Priestman is a revolutionary device that can encourage individuals to reduce their shower time to conserve water. The intelligent device measures the amount of water going down the plug hole when you shower and memorizes it.

The first shower use is taken as a benchmark by the device after which it uses a series of “traffic lights” flashing gently from green to red whenever you finish showering. The device allows the user to fractionally reduce shower time to make sure that the device is always flashing green.

The tap is controlled by an aerator. To get water flowing you have to “twist” and crank it. Anytime people have to apply a little elbow grease to accomplish a task – they may think twice. That’s the whole point. Only use water when you REALLY need it. If that doesn’t destroy you water world dreams, there’s even a digital read-out. My favorite bit is the motion sensor that gives you just splash because sometimes that’s all you need.

Eco Factor: Water saving system mixes fresh water with gray water for toilet flushing.

“Eco Bath” system makes use of gray water but only after purifying it a bit, not by using the latest in UV purification, but simply mixing it with fresh water. The flush tank is connected to a freshwater source as well as a sink. When gray water enters the tank, it is mixed with the same amount of fresh water. This 50-50 consistency keeps your toilet drains unclogged and also ensures that 50% of fresh water is saved in the process.

The EcoDual is designed with two separate tanks, with a washing capacity of 6kg and 2kg respectively. For heavy washing, the user makes use of the larger tank and the smaller one is used for washing delicate clothes. The washing machine collects water in a tank located at the bottom part of the washer, which is then filtered and reused in subsequent washing cycles.

The EcoDual is also equipped with a deodorization system that can be used for foul smelling clothes. This system blows jets of oxygen and ozone in the clothes killing the germs that cause the bad smell. Thus you can take the bad smell out of your favorite shirt, and that too without water!

While manufacturers are now developing toilets that either save water or don’t use it at all, Brondell is working to develop means for homeowners to green their existing toilets by making them run on less water. The company has unveiled a new toilet upgrade dubbed Brondell Perfect Flush that comes with two buttons allowing the user to either use the full flush and empty the tank or use half flush to save up to 50% water

Entitled “Spiky,” the curtain has a cousin that inflates to trap you inside your shower as sweaty punishment. Given the liability issues, the warrior shower curtains are not for sale, but serve to provoke thought on water-usage. Visitors can set a time and experience the shock of a shower with a conscience as it fills with air.