A new low-flush toilet or a simple device for your old water-guzzler can help drastically reduce the amount of water you flush away. Toilets account for about one quarter of all water used inside the typical home, making them the largest water user. An older, nonconserving toilet uses between 3.5 and seven gallons per flush (gpf). Compare that to a modern conserving toilet that uses a maximum of 1.6 gpf—or better than three-quarters less than the most wasteful toilet still in use.
A low-flush toilet can save a family of four 14,000 gallons of water per year—conserving a precious resource and lowering water bills—and wastewater charges too, in some areas. Today, consumers can go even further and invest in high efficiency toilets (HETs) that carry the EPA’s WaterSense label and use less than 1.3 gpf. Dual flush toilets can average even less gpf by giving the user the ability to choose between 1.6 gallons for solids and 0.8 gallons for liquids.
Not ready for a new toilet? Retrofit your toilet for free: fill a 2-liter soda bottle with water or sand, and place it in your toilet tank. Voila! You will instantly save with every flush. There are products you can buy, too. Options include flush flappers that save up to 50% of water per flush, tank dams that save 2.5 gpf, fill cycle diverters that save .5 to 1.5 gpf, and tank bladders that hold up to 160 oz. and displace an equal amount of water per flush.
Take Action / Next Steps
Calculate the cost benefit of upgrading to a conserving toilet.
Read about WaterSense HET toilets and where to find them.
Did you know that many water utility companies offer rebates for replacing old, inefficient toilets?
Did you
know that a WaterSense HET toilet may reduce your annual water bill by $90 or more?
One HET toilet that
replaces a 3.5 gpf toilet will save a family of four almost $100 per year.
Did you know that there is little
correlation between what a toilet costs and its flush performance?
You can get a toilet that performs well
for under $100.
Did you know that the older your toilet is, the more money you can save by replacing it?
Old toilets, like those seven gallon models manufactured before 1950, are expensive to operate.When replacing a very
inefficient toilet, including one that leaks, a new low-flush toilet could pay for itself in a year or
two.
Did you know that for about $5 you can cut water use per flush cycle by 50%?
By installing certain
water-saving devices inside the tank of a nonconserving toilet, you can save water with each flush and lower your water
bills.
Did you know that you can save 300,000
gallons of water just by changing your toilet?
Toilets have an unlimited lifespan—it’s the
components that wear out and need replacing. But if you replace a toilet that was manufactured prior to 1993 (check the under
side of the tank lid) with an HET toilet, you can save at least 300,000 gallons of water over your
lifetime.
Did you know that a family of four can save more than 17,000 gallons of water annually with dual flush
toilets?
Dual flush toilets can save 11.9 gallons per person per day.
Did you know that toilet water is
the same water you drink?
Unless you have special plumbing, the water that fills your toilet is the same
water that flows from your home taps. Significant money and energy is used to treat water for human consumption. Conserving
water when we flush preserves drinking water and reduces energy used for purification.
SOURCES :
1. California Urban Water Conservation Council. H2ouse.org Water Saver Home Tour [undated]. “Clothes Washer Water Use.” Available from: http://h2ouse.org/tour/bath.cfm [4 December 2007]
