27 February 2008
Conserving Water: Are You a Frugal Flusher?
My thoughts were in the toilet today and I mean that quite literally. My three year old daughter is in potty training and the best part of learning to use the potty is the flushing. It’s music to a little kid’s ears and so she flushes and flushes and flushes and wastes 5 gallons of water each time she does. I realized that I needed to stop this insanity and look for ways to conserve toilet water overall. Once I got my little darling’s trigger finger under control, I took some time to do some research. I found the following recommendations:
1. Consider purchasing a low-volume toilet that uses less than half the water of older models. Note: In many areas, low-volume units are required by law.
2. Install a toilet displacement device to cut down on the amount of water needed to flush. Place a one-gallon plastic jug of water into the tank to displace toilet flow (do not use a brick, it may dissolve and loose pieces may cause damage to the internal parts). Be sure installation does not interfere with the operating parts.
3. Check toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets or food coloring into the tank. If color appears in the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak that should be repaired.
Just by adding a gallon jug of water to our existing toilet, we will save a gallon of water per flush. If we flush around 15 times per day, that’s a savings of 15 gallons per day and approximately 450 gallons each month. Each Month! We’d save even more by replacing our water-guzzling, five to seven gallon per flush toilets with one and a half gallon, ultra-low flush models.
Obviously not all toilets will accommodate a gallon jug but even a half gallon jug would be better than nothing. I’ve found a few interesting water conservation products such as the Toilet Tummy and the Fill Master on this website: http://amconservationgroup.com/catalog.aspx?catid=148
Each device costs $5.95 plus shipping and would pay for themselves very quickly I would think.
The amount of water saved is truly amazing when you think about it. Furthermore, if we can save that much water by simply adjusting the toilet, think of what we could save by conserving via the sink, tub and shower! Can you say Cha-Ching?
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