First-of-its-kind innovative home concept combines superior products and efficient design that simplifies routines, bringing indoor water use to less than half the LA average and reducing utility costs

In Los Angeles, families in a first-of-its-kind study that recently wrapped are proving that when innovative products, appliances and fixtures simplify and help people enjoy everyday life, people can save time, money and water as a result. Global brands P&G, Electrolux, Kohler, IKEA are behind this key initiative of the 50L Home Coalition, working together to make sustainable living more affordable, attainable and irresistible.

In this innovative pilot design, water monitoring sensors were unseen. Participants were not specifically asked to conserve nor could they see water savings data from their home. After two years in the study, households used 21 gallons (79 liters) indoors per person per day on average, which is 56% less than the official LA average of 48 gallons (182 liters). Participants reported their routines had become easier and more enjoyable, with less time spent on mundane chores.

The results show that smarter product innovation and design and high-efficiency appliances and fixtures help improve the overall home experience while delivering significant savings.

“Our goal here is better living and better consumer value; people didn’t ask for their water-savings progress. It was considered by participants as a byproduct of their simplified routines and superior-performing products,” said Frantz Beznik, Executive Director of the 50 Liter Home Coalition for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). “This study has produced real-world insights that can empower homeowners, utilities and homebuilders to integrate these innovative, efficient systems and products.”

Innovative, Performance-Driven Design Delivered Real Savings

Rather than relying on conservation messaging or behavioral restriction, performance-driven design and convenience were the most effective drivers of lasting habit change. No one was asked to take shorter showers, flush less often or make sacrifices to conserve. Instead, people stopped sorting laundry for cold-water washes. They eliminated soaking, scrubbing and pre-rinsing dishes. Across the homes, efficiency was embraced as an upgrade in convenience, performance and overall quality of life.

When products performed well and simplified daily life, water and energy reductions flowed naturally. How savings racked up across the home vs. participants’ prior consumption patterns:

Kitchen: Per home on average, daily sink water use decreased by 16% and daily time at the sink decreased 13% as activities such as pre-rinsing and soaking dishes were reduced. Daily hot water use at the kitchen sink was reduced 49%. Overall daily water usage in the kitchen across both the sink and dishwasher was reduced by 14%, even with 13% more dishwasher cycles per week.
Laundry Room: Per home on average, daily water use for laundry dropped by 32% and daily hot water use was reduced by 48%, thanks to high-efficiency washers and laundry detergent designed to work well in cold water.
Overall Water-Related Energy Use: Per home on average, daily water-related energy use decreased by 35% driven primarily by reductions in the use of hot water. Every gallon of hot water saved delivers multiple benefits: water conservation, reduced carbon emissions and lower utility bills.

Participants in the LA study reported a positive impact of the combination of provided products, appliances and fixtures on their quality of life at home, including the feedback:

“We didn't have to make any sacrifice...I just don't feel like I put effort into things. It's actually removed efforts, really…The fact that we can do that [save water] without even really realizing we did it…everyone should be doing this…”

“I feel like our lives [are] much better than it was before [the pilot], primarily just because things are a lot easier, the cleaning is a lot easier…I'm really pleased and I'm happy that what we're doing can [also] help out environmentally…”

Defining Characteristics of Efficient Homes

The Los Angeles study revealed common features among the most efficient homes—simple, room-by-room retrofits:

Kitchen: High-efficiency dishwashers paired with high-performing faucets and innovative dish detergents (both for automatic dishwashers and hand dishwashing with a high-quality spray-on dish soap) let people skip steps like soaking, scrubbing, and pre-rinsing dishes, which saved time and water. A dishwasher uses less water than handwashing – 4 gallons (15 liters) for a cycle with an ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher vs. 24 gallons (91 liters) of water for a full load of dishes washed by hand with the tap running.
Laundry: People with high-quality laundry detergent specifically formulated for superior results even in cold water and high-efficiency washing machines can achieve effective cleaning in cold water – and also eliminate the need to sort laundry by color.
Bathroom: Well-designed, ultra-low-flow showerheads, paired with 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 personal care products help people reduce steps and time in the shower. High-efficient, dual-flush toilets (0.8/1.1 GPF) paired with high-performance toilet paper help reduce double flushing.

Making 50-Liter a Reality for Homes Everywhere

In homes where upgrading fixtures and appliances may be cost-prohibitive or impractical, pairing efficient appliances with high-performance consumable products, one system at a time, can deliver meaningful water, energy and time savings.

The goal is to make 50-liter living not an exception demonstrated in a study, but the standard for new construction and retrofits across water-stressed regions worldwide. To learn more, visit https://50lhome.org/. For a list of the consumable products, appliances and fixtures provided to participants, see https://50lhome.org/los-angeles-pilot/.

What are people saying about the 50L Home Coalition?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does water efficiency matter? How is the 50LH Coalition helping address the global water crisis?

Around 4 billion people – close to half the world’s population – experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year, according to the United Nations. The 50L Home Coalition is a global initiative that brings together industry leaders’ expertise across consumer products, appliances, fixtures, and infrastructure to develop whole-home solutions for water savings that work in everyday life.

What is the 50L Home Coalition Los Angeles study?

The 50 Liter Home’s Los Angeles pilot project sought to understand water and energy consumption in 31 homes – real homes under real conditions, in one of the largest cities in the United States, located in a water-stressed area. The team retrofit 15 out of 31 homes with appliances, fixtures and consumer products from the partner companies that were designed to help save water and energy.

Residents' perceptions and behaviors were assessed and documented at every step of the process from initial baseline water use to end use. The Coalition teamed with Flume and Droople for monitoring water and energy consumption. Measurements began in August 2023. Data represents two full years of results and millions of data points of hot and cold water consumption at time and point of use.

What can utilities, policymakers & home builders learn from the 50L Home?

For utilities: Indoor water efficiency savings offers a viable pathway that complements outdoor programs.
For policymakers: Efficiency standards can be adjusted while improving consumer satisfaction.
For product manufacturers and the building industry: Superior product performance drives adoption.

What are the key findings of the 50L Home Los Angeles study?

The Los Angeles pilot offers a compelling proof point for utilities, policymakers, manufacturers, and the building industry that indoor water efficiency provides reliable, year-round savings that complement outdoor conservation programs, reduces energy use and emissions associated with hot water, and yields a positive return on investment. Consumers also benefit when solutions are designed around performance and ease, adoption becomes intuitive and long lasting. The goal is to make 50-liter living not an exception demonstrated in a study, but the standard for new construction and retrofits across water-stressed regions.

How can other companies get involved?

To learn more or to get involved, visit the 50L Home Coalition website at https://50lhome.org/, and for a full list of the consumable products, appliances and fixtures provided to participants, visit https://50lhome.org/los-angeles-pilot/.

About 50L Home Coalition

The 50L Home Coalition is a global action-oriented platform that addresses two of our most pressing global challenges: water security and climate change. We strive to re-invent the future of water and change the narrative on domestic water consumption. To achieve this, we work alongside global industry leaders and public and civil society institutions. Our primary objective is to create innovative sustainable solutions that will solve the urban water crisis and create financially viable opportunities for our communities.

The coalition is jointly coordinated by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Economic Forum. Members include Electrolux Group, IKEA, Kohler, and Procter & Gamble. Partners include Arcadis, BlueTech Research, City of Phoenix, Droople, Epic Cleantec, Flume, International Desalination and Reuse Association, Netherlands Water Partnership, Scottish Water, U.S. Green Building Council California, WateReuse Association, European Proptech Association, and Waterwise. Follow us on LinkedIn or visit www.50lhome.org.

About USGBC California

USGBC California is a 501(c)3 non-profit and member-based organization whose vision is to transform California’s built environment into a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable region for all. USGBC California, an independent chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, comprises green building communities across the state. We lead by inspiring leaders throughout our communities to take action on climate change, public health, and environmental justice while educating, developing, and empowering a diverse talent pipeline through our training, mentorship, and direct-to-community programs. We connect by merging interdisciplinary perspectives and collaborations to create positive systemic change. We advocate through promoting innovative, impactful policy solutions addressing the most urgent environmental and social challenges of our time. (www.usgbc-ca.org)

About the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is the leading community of around 230 global businesses making sustainability performance a key driver for competitiveness. Established in 1995, WBCSD is a non-profit member-led organization that connects business leaders through all sectors and major economies, and creates the tools and frameworks to scale collective impact, drive cross-sector innovation, and shape an ambitious, enabling policy agenda. We operate from seven offices worldwide — in Geneva, New York, Chicago, Amsterdam, London, Singapore and Wuhan — enabling collaboration across value chains and geographies. Together with our members, we are rewiring economic and financial systems to support the transition to a net-zero, nature-positive, and inclusive future that creates business value.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260320536865/en/

Media Contacts:
Grace Hamilton-Burge, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, consultant-burge@wbcsd.org
Julie Du Brow, USGBC-CA, julie@usgbc-ca.org

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