Why I Don't Flush

When it comes down to it, it's no big whoop to let it mellow.

There are now great composting and low-flow toilets out there, but just by flushing a little less often (number 1 only please!), the amount of water you can save is huge.

I'll admit that it takes a little getting used to (mostly getting used to being ok with what your visitors may be thinking). But heck, much of the world doesn't even use toilet paper so clearly this is about perspective.

The toilet is the biggest water culprit in the home -- gulping down nearly one third of your total water consumption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That means if you flush half as much -- say every other time -- you can trim your water bill by nearly 15 percent a month!

In the U.S., we use about 345 billion gallons of fresh water per day. How much is this? Well, enough to turn Rhode Island into a one-foot lake.

Unfortunately, our lakes and reservoirs are not bottomless. The frightening fact is the amount of usable freshwater is decreasing, according to the World Health Organization. We only have 2.5 percent fresh water on this earth, and every day, we are using more and polluting more.

This water usage calculator from the U.S. Geological Survey is a great way to figure out your household use.