Let's Talk Toilets

Toilets use a lot of water. Without conservation measures, a toilet can use up to 27.7% of a household's indoor water usage! More, on average, than clothes washing or showering*. I was shocked by this statistic.

Now understandably eliminating toilet usage, or even reducing usage, is not an option for most families, but there are steps you can take to cut down on the amount of water that goes down the toilet in your house.

1. When the time come to replace your toilet, buy a high efficiency toilet (HET). These go beyond federal standards required for new toilets (1.6 gallons or less per flush). You can even buy dual flush toilets with different flushing options for solids and liquids. Even if you can't afford an HET, switching from an old toilet, that can use as much as 7 gallons per flush, to a new standard toilet will go a long way in conserving water.
   
2. If you have an old toilet and are not in a position to get a new one, install a toilet tank bank OR put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside two plastic bottles. Fill the bottles with water, screw on the lids and put them in your toilet tank (away from any operating mechanisms). The bottles will displace water used in the the tank with each flush.
   
3. Does your toilet run and run? Do you have to jiggle the handle to get it to stop? Fix it. It might be easier than you think. Check out WikiHow for a step-by-step guide.
4. Don't use your toilet for trash. Throw your tissues and other debris in a wastebasket, not in the toilet.
5. This tip is admittedly not for the weak -- Don't flush every time you use the toilet. The saying goes; "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down".
   

*Source: American Water Works Association Research Foundation 1999