Tapmaster Model 1751 includes both a kick-plate and button activated by the cabinet door to turn the tap on and off. Photo: Tapmaster. Click on image to enlarge.

For the past eight years we've been able to turn our kitchen faucet on and off using a knee- and foot-control valve from the Canadian company Tapmaster. This may seem like a convenience-only product designed for lazy people. I can't argue with all of that--and admit that I probably wouldn't have installed one if I hadn't received it for testing from the manufacturer after we had reviewed a competing product in Environmental Building News. But I gotta say, I love it, and I'm convinced that it does result in significant water and energy savings.

Alex Wilson, the founder of our company and our current executive editor (i.e., my boss), is being named the 2010 Hanley Award winner in a special event here at Greenbuild 2010 tomorrow. In recognition of this achievement, and to better understand how this innovative, always-curious visionary looks at the world, I recently asked him 10 questions. Here's the conversation.

This online calculator allows you to calculate how much condensate can be captured from an air conditioning system. Click on image to enlarge.

Back in 2008 when I wrote a series of articles for Environmental Building News on water (all three can be accessed with this link), one of those articles, Alternative Water Sources: Supply-Side Solutions for Green Buildings, examined various ways of harvesting water and included an in-depth look at collecting air conditioner condensate.

Here's an excerpt from that article on how that condensate is generated:

Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, which supplies 90% of Las Vegas's water and millions of other residents, shown at about half capacity in 2007. Ken Dewey photo. Click on image to enlarge.

Last week we examined the amount of energy it takes to transport and treat water--and how we can conserve energy by using less water. This week, we'll look at the inverse of that: how much water it takes to produce energy and how our energy conservation efforts reduce water use. The water intensity of energy Whenever water shortages loom anywhere, we hear about how much "embodied water" there is in various products. According to the Water Footprint Network, producing a slice of bread requires 11 gallons of water and producing a pound of beef takes 1,800 gallons. The same sort of analysis can be done with our energy sources. As with foods, different types of energy have different water intensities.

Niagara uses innovative "vacuum-assist" hydraulics to provide an effective, yet super-quiet flush in the Stealth toilet, requiring just 0.8 gallons. By using less water, this toilet saves energy. Photo: Niagara Conservation. Click on image to enlarge

It takes a lot of energy to transport and treat water in this country, and it takes a lot of water to produce the energy we use. To put this a different way: when we save water we save energy, and when we save energy we save water. Most people don't think about this tight-knit relationship between energy and water, but public officials in a growing number of regions around the country are becoming quite aware of it. This week, I'll examine how much energy it takes to move water and to treat both supply water and wastewater. Next week, I'll look at how much water is used in producing our energy. The energy intensity of water: The amount of energy needed to deliver clean water and treat that water once we've used it varies tremendously by region.

The Waterless Company's new residential Baja urinal begins shipping this week. Photo: Waterless Company. Click on image to enlarge.

There are some significant advantages to urinals when it comes to bathroom maintenance (I won't go into the messy details of splashing that happens when males stand and urinate into a toilet). With ultra-efficient urinals (often called one-pint urinals) and waterless urinals, there are also very significant water savings that are achieved.

EPA's new specification for water-efficient homes works well for all sorts of builders and even remodelers Although EPA's criteria for WaterSense labeled new homes were only recently released, custom and production builders from Georgia to Arizona, from Montana to Hawaii, are signing up. With typical overall water savings of more than 20 percent compared to other homes, WaterSense homes are just that--sensible.A custom builder (and remodeler) perspective "Water is the next big issue," says Bill Christopher, Secretary/Treasurer of ILM Design and Build, Inc in Wilmington, North Carolina.