So.. what are some ways to reduce toilet water? One method that popped up on several internet searches was to use a plastic bottle to convert your toilet to a low flush toilet. Watch this handy video below:
Now, let's say you are willing to spend some dough on a toilet upgrade. What are your options? First is a dual flush toilet, that lets you choose your level of water output in a "binary fashion" between large and small, for obvious reasons. My first exposure to dual flush toilets was my first time to Japan, where all toilets have dual flush options (along with many other options, such as seat heating and bidet functionality, but we won't get into that here). Apparently the technology was first invented by an Australian!
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| 大=big, 小=small |
Although dual-flush is certainly not the standard in the U.S. yet, a quick look around online shows a range of dual-flush toilets available, generally around $400-800. That is a pretty hefty investment for a young homeowner, with a payback period of around 3-5 years, depending on the source. However, there is also a DIY approach to dual flush. Conversion kits are available for as low as $30.
So, let's do the math once again. If one converts to a dual-flush toilet, either by new model or DIY, let's assume two flushes per day are of the smaller quantity variety. With the changes our daily output comes to an average of 6 gallons a day, which with the low-flow conversion (plastic bottle) above turns into about 4.5 gallons a day, for an annual output of about 1640 gallons. Still a significant number, but about 1/2 as much as when we started, and for only $30 and at max a few hours of work!
Its funny you mention the dual-flush toilets. During my time abroad last semester in Australia, I don't think I saw one toilet in the entire country that wasn't a dual flush! The Australian culture is significantly more conscious of their water usage, which was interesting to see as a guy interested in sustainable living. Everyone I had met just seemed to appreciate water as a valuable resource, more then most people I've encountered in the US (huge generalization). But I found this post very informative, I may try and install that low-flow plastic bottle to my toilet at home. I'l keep you posted!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of a dual-flush toilet until someone mentioned it in class today. It’s a really great idea, and I am surprised I have never seen one in the U.S. I am skeptical of the DIY way of enhancing my toilet’s water-use, but I’m very tempted to try. If I do, I’ll let you know what I think. It seems that households, much like municipal governments, operate on a short-term basis. Meaning that they either cannot afford or do not see the point in long-term investments. Saving money for a dual-flush or an EPA WaterSense certified toilet could save a household much in the long-run. There is a need for community-wide (household?) initiatives to in which to invest. More information about WaterSense toilets can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/toilets.html
ReplyDeleteHave you heard about Bill Gates' quest to produce the most water/energy efficient toilet in the world? It's kind of weird that a software engineer became obsessed with toilets, but I makes sense since he is one of the most philanthropic people in the world:
ReplyDelete"Imagine what's possible if we continue to collaborate, stimulate new investment in this sector, and apply our ingenuity in the years ahead...Many of these innovations will not only revolutionise sanitation in the developing world, but also help transform our dependence on traditional flush toilets in wealthy nations."
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/08/201281601350190483.html
Thanks for sharing the DIY option! A great interim fix (and possible business idea) would be to commercialize something like this. For the envrionmentally-conscious student, it would be great to have an option that both helps us in our quest to live more sustainably and is also inexpensive and implementable.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of DIY, this reminds me of a friend I had growing up in elementary school. At the time, I thought her family was a bit unusual, but now I'm realizing that a lot of the "weird" things they did were in an attempt to lessen their environmental impact while living within their means (and within the means of then-current technology). One such strange habit was their approach to the bathroom. They had a rule that if you went #1, you didn't flush the toilet. You just let others use it until someone had to go #2 at which point the toilet could be flushed. As a 9-year-old, I didn't quite understand what end goal this rule was trying to achieve. But now I'm happy to see that they were trying to lessen their impact (though I'm glad their are other eco-friendly options today).
Errol, thank you for posting that video! I never actually realized until I came to SPEA just how much water we use when flushing the toilet. It also never occurred to me that we are using fresh, drinking water every time we flush. Unfortunately, I don't think that things like this ever cross the daily American's mind; it was never taught to be a part of his/her thought process. So how do we change the mindsets of Americans? I like the idea from Roseland about giving away low- flush toilets as a pilot to get people more interested in water conservation. That paired with the proper educational tips can be a real incentive to get people to start thinking differently.
ReplyDeleteErrol -- thanks for sharing the video. #inspired. I love dual flush toilets! They are probably my favorite water conservation device. Reason being - for the consumer, it's a simple prompt. You don't actually have to change behavior (unlike Julie's example, you still get to flush--which for some is important), but it's a simple instructional prompt that changes the amount of water used. Good news: this is happening at Marine Corps bases now too to cut costs! file:///private/tmp/335/C/Users/ADMINI~1/AppData/Local/Temp/Reenergizing%20Americas%20Defense%20Military%20Bases%20and%20Energy%20Conservation%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf.
ReplyDeleteAnother moment of hope re: water usage, was while reading the most recent issue of Fast Company. As someone who probably uses as much water washing clothes as I do flushing, I was excited to find the Girado featured as a brilliant student innovation by design: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670355/how-a-foot-powered-washing-machine-could-change-millions-of-lives#1. I would have used it this summer in NYC with no W/D!