Saturday, October 31, 2026
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The Plumbing Brief
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The Plumbing Brief

Research

Original plumbing data and research from public sources: wages, prices, water bills, workforce, and housing data, with methods and sources stated.

Crew repairing a leaking water main in a street trench
Research

How Much Water Is Lost to Leaks? California’s Pipes Lose 92 Billion Gallons a Year

State audits: California's urban water systems leaked 91.6 billion gallons in 2023, 6.0% of supply, 28 gallons per…
Plumbing crew carrying copper pipe across a residential job site
Research

Plumber Demographics: 3% Women, 30% Hispanic, and Younger Than the Average Worker

BLS data: 3.1% of US plumbers are women, 30.3% Hispanic; median age 40.2, younger than the average worker.…
Under a kitchen sink, a plain white reverse osmosis system with three unlabeled filter housings and a small storage tank
Research

Reverse Osmosis Waste Water Ratio: Real Numbers

Reverse osmosis waste water ratio by model: 5+ gallons per gallon on typical units, 2.3 max for WaterSense,…
A clear glass being filled with tap water from a chrome kitchen faucet, water droplets in focus, a slim under-sink filte
Research

PFAS in Drinking Water: Limits, Testing and Filters

PFAS in drinking water: the 4.0 ppt EPA limits, what changed in 2025-2026, how to test your water…
Short sections of different plumbing pipe materials arranged side by side on weathered wood: copper, galvanized steel, c
Research

How Long Do Pipes Last? Lifespan by Material

How long do pipes last? Copper, PEX, galvanized, cast iron, clay, polybutylene and lead lifespans compared, every range…
A large pale congealed mass of grease and debris filling the bottom of a brick sewer tunnel, lit by a single work light,
Research

What Is a Fatberg? How Grease and Wipes Block Sewers

A fatberg is grease turned to soap and bound with wipes. How fatbergs form, the largest on record,…
A tangled clump of white nonwoven wipes caught on a sewer pump impeller in a municipal pump station, wet concrete and st
Research

Are Flushable Wipes Really Flushable?

Are flushable wipes really flushable? A 2019 test of 101 wipes found none passed. Utility costs, septic risk,…
Inside view of a toilet tank with the lid off, clear water, a plain flapper and fill valve, photographed from above in s
Research

How Much Water Does a Toilet Use per Flush?

How much water does a toilet use per flush? From 7 gallons to 0.8 by era, yearly gallons…
A chrome rain shower head spraying water in a tiled shower stall, droplets frozen mid-air in side light, water pooling a
Research

How Much Water Does a Shower Use?

How much water does a shower use? About 15.8 gallons on average (REU2016). Gallons by minute and flow…
An open dishwasher with clean plates in the rack beside a sink filled with soapy dishwater and a few dishes
Research

Dishwasher vs Hand Washing: Water, Energy and Cost per Load

Dishwasher vs hand washing water usage, sourced: 3.2 gallons for ENERGY STAR vs about 27 by hand, cost…