Plumbing fixtures in buildings constructed before 1980 are usually highly inefficient in their water usage. Fixtures manufactured between 1980 and 1992 are generally better, but those manufactured after the federal government's 1992 Energy Policy are best. Today's generation of toilets, shower heads and faucets offer superior water conservation capabilities.

Consider that in a typical office building, toilets account for almost 70% of water usage. Replacing a conventional 5-gallon-per-flush toilet with a 1.6 gallon-per-flush model can reduce water consumption by more than half. Likewise, older conventional shower heads are usually rated at 5 gallons a minute, while new "water miser" heads have a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute.

Waterless urinals are becoming more popular now, replacing the typical 3-gallon-per-flush models.

Resources:

The Northern Colorado Collaborative Efforts in Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Water Conservation (now there's a title!) has a fabulous web site resource for information on water conservation targeted at water users and water providers. The goal of the organization is to provide ready access to information and tools that will make the water conservation process, from assessment through implementation, more accessible to all water users.