Modern plumbing is a part of almost every single person's life now. 
Whether it's to flush something down or wash something, plumbing plays a role in our day to day lives, and we don't even really think about it. Even something as universally used as household plumbing can be improved upon. So what can be expected from future of plumbing as we know it?
Well as most know, water shortages are happening in a few states, like California. Because of these shortages, there have been various water restrictions set in place that vary from state to state, county to county. What this means for future plumbing is that they will become more efficient with the amount of water flowing through them. This may seem like a simple solution that should be in place already, but these pipes need to be engineered to be extremely efficient but not lose any functionality while preserving water. As these pipes are created and manufactured, homes and buildings built after will have these plumbing systems installed and save tons of water.
Along with preserving water, having these more efficient pipes will save with energy costs as well. The NAECA (National Appliance Energy Conservation Act) is going to be soon be updated with the initiative that newly produced water heaters can NOT use as much energy as they used to. The amount of energy that is typically used for water heaters today is roughly 18% of a monthly utility bill. This update to the NAECA will show a significant reduction in that utility cost, and the future of plumbing is to thank for that. Using these efficient plumbing components are the key to getting these levels much lower.
As the future of plumbing becomes more efficient in the means of water and energy usage, the components will also be easier and quicker to install. While plumbing is a great career option, it is a learned skill that involves a lot of learning, and unfortunately, admissions at trade schools have been on the decline. So ultimately, if there aren't many to follow this career - that means the parts and pieces will become easier to understand and work with. This will give more people the option to learn and stick with this trade and also benefit the consumer because it won't leave them in a wet mess for hours on end.
The future of plumbing is a lot more than just a low-flow toilet or sprinkler system on a timer; it's a massive part of our everyday lives. Even when we're not thinking about it, it's always doing something to benefit us. The future is very bright for advancements in our plumbing systems; from saving water to saving time and saving money - it's all uphill from here!