Toilets consume 40% of the water in the average home, making them the largest user of water. If your toilets were manufactured before 1980, they probably use nearly 6 gallons for every flush. Imagine, 6 gallons of clean drinking water wasted in a bowl that doesn’t need to have drinkable water in the first place — despite what your dog thinks!
Most new toilets in the United States now use about 3.5 gallons per flush. Although this is an improvement over the pre-1980 figures, each flush still wastes a significant amount of fresh water.
In the following sections, I show you some alternatives to traditional toilets.
Low-Flow and High-Efficiency Toilets
Low-flow toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush and are just as effective at getting rid of waste as their traditional counterparts. Several states — including California and New Jersey — require all toilets to be this low-flow type. Choosing low-flow toilets is the least expensive and most effective way to conserve water in your home.
Some local municipalities now offer cash incentives for using water-efficient fixtures. And some of these incentives are generous enough to pay for your new toilet. If you’re remodeling your existing home, be sure to check with your city’s building department to see what incentives are available to you.
High-efficiency toilets use a minimum of 20% less water than standard low-flow toilets, typically a tiny 1.28 gallons per flush. They’re surprisingly good at removing waste with such a small amount of water.
Tip: Nearly all toilet manufacturers (including Toto, American Standard, and Kohler) offer low-flow and high-efficiency toilets with a pressure-assist option. A special valve uses less water to create more force to better clear the bowl.
Dual-flush Toilets
Dual-flush toilets conserve water by offering two types of flush options:
- Liquid waste: An ultralow flush of only 0.8 to 1.1 gallons of water is used.
- Solid waste: The standard low flush of 1.6 gallons is used.
Dual-flush toilets either use a two-way handle or have two separate buttons (the button you push depends on what you need to flush).
Saving thousands of gallons of water and dollars in sewer costs, dual-flush toilets are a no-brainer. Every toilet you buy should be a dual-flush type. All major toilet manufacturers offer dual-flush models.
An added bonus: If you have a septic system, dual-flush toilets will significantly reduce the overall load on it.
Composting Toilets
Instead of using drinkable water to flush toilets, composting toilets use natural chemicals to flush and convert your waste into fertilizer. Similar to a plane or boat toilet, modern-day composting toilets have virtually no odor and avoid the expense of plumbing, piping, and sewer lines.
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