If you put a large open container inside the
bowl area you can save a quart or more
of water per flush each time, and most of the time you'll never
notice any difference in the flushing result.
It's simple, cheap, saves money and works.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

take a leak or a dump in nature. less paper no water and good for mother earth.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

...a real and serious issue. If we could only get the R's to pay attention to it. But if it cuts int o their profits they will have none of it.

This toilet water issue is the reason we should be using Tono or Australian type toilets. And no, I don't sell either or anything else for that matter. I'm just a conservationist from long ago, 50 years ago to be exact.

Now if we could only convince the profit whores about these real issues.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

about 20 years ago when our kids started to use everything in sight to excess I thought about it. If you just move the toilet handle enough to move some water out and some water in,without flushing it works. no smell no yellow water I've been doing this for a long time and I would say that when I do this it only uses about 2 or 3 cups of water. that's not none but it is better than flushing and i have always wondered why there wasn't a toilet that could do a half or quarter flush if you wanted it to.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Japan designs western toilets with two varieties of flush: big and small. The mechanism is essentially the same as the US design, but the handle can be pulled - lifting the valve - farther in one direction than in another. Anyone should be able to make the adjustment, just add a "camshaft" to the handle. If you put a brick in your tank, you can also reduce the volume of water required to refill your tank; then reduce the number of times you flush. Also, why doesn't the US recycle on the scale the Japanese do? I have to separate my plastic, from my glass, from my metal garbage - they are disposed of at different recycling centers. All my cardboard and newspaper and old books and magazines are also recycled... And now, the Japanese supermarket is encouraging a "no-plastic-bags" campaign - you have to pay about 8 cents per plastic bag you ask for at the counter; some convenience stores offer bags for FREE that are made from recycled materials. It's embarrassing being a US citizen when I see all the waste my fellow nationals produce.... What's really behind the US wastefulness??? Does the average, US citizen really care for the natural environment, or feel any genuine responsibility for the environmental destruction that the US is responsible for????????

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Ever heard this line near the water cooler?: "I try to drink at least 35 glasses of water a day..." Well, goody for you, but you're part of the flushing problem...unless you actually sweat out 35 glasses a day sitting at a desk.

We should also cut down on the amount of diuretic beverages we drink, such as beer, coffee, soft drinks, etc...And all bars, clubs, coffee houses, etc. should be equipped with pay-per-flush toilets and pay a special tax to pay for water offsets.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Long ago on the farm we were taught this axiom...

When it is yellow, let it mellow...
When it is brown, flush it down.

I still follow this simple way to conserve water today in my 67th year!!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The flush toilet is a curse on this planet, a classic modern situation: dealing with a problem by creating a bigger one.

Composting toilets make far more sense.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

in whatever efficient ways work best, BUT UNLESS we peacefully reduce the human population through family planning and women's rights, everything else will fail as the amount of waste grows with the growing population beyond any capacity to manage it. This is already happening as all sorts of filth washes up on beaches around the World from illegal dumping. This must be stopped or the human race will soon pass a point of no return. -- One More Destiny

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

RE: Japan's (Western) Toilets

Japanese Culture instills social responsibility and respect towards nature, while American Culture does not. That's why the Japanese have less crime and are healthier than their American counter-parts.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

;>

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Do the math. If every member of every household refrained from flushing just one tiny tinkle every day, what a savings of water would result!
If those same households choose to use refillable water bottles, to recycle and reuse, and to adjust thermostats just two or three degrees, the cumulative effect would be amazing.
No, these simple changes won't solve global warming. Making a problem less worse by becoming conscious of conservation is a beginning not an end in itself.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

must read.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Can't believe Treehugger is now taking credit for such a resource-saving idea! Many of us have been doing this for years--it is simply obvious that flushing every time is a waste of water! Next are we going to hear from some blogger that turning off the water while you brush your teeth is the "new" eco-trendy idea??

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I guess you are behind in the innovations in the loo
Japanese are the cleanest when it comes to the toilet. In fact, since the word innovation came out they have sat down on the loo business. The toilet knows when you are near, sat, and what is your requirement depending on the time you sit. It then throws out warm air with fragrance and very little water. The flower like garden makes you seat but the cleanliness comes first so you leave the loo fast. Try those. They will save a lot of water
The toilet is the biggest water culprit in the home -- gulping down nearly one third of your total water consumption.
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla DBA
P.O.Box 6044
Dar-Es-Salaam
Tanzania
East Africa

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

of not flushing with every pee can vary. It can depend on how full the toilet is and who is coming after you. Dropping a plopper and having someone else's pee splash up on one's butt may be one thing in the family, I wouldn't subject a guest to that experience. :-(

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

It's easy enough to pee in a bottle, dump it in the sink, and flush with at most one quart of water, which is more than enough to clean out the trap. Leaving urine in the toilet can leave deposits difficult to remove.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Fewer people = less sewage.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

First off, what do you mean by "save water"? If water is a scarce resource then it's price should reflect that and people will adjust their behavior without any need for the judgmental pressures of do-gooders.

Sure you feel good having saved a few gallons of water but since you have reduced your consumption and the price of water is very low some (admittedly selfish and shortsighted) person somewhere else will happily up their consumption to compensate.

The solution is too tax the water as close to the source as possible and give the tax profits directly back to the people. This results in no consequences to the poor and sends the proper economic feedback to the *all* consumers, commercial and private.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Hey Gray, how's it... Woah... what's that smell...

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

But seriously folks, ever since I was a boy in school, I found it strange that of all the species on the planet, only significant numbers of our own go out of their way to shit in the water supply. I would read that everyone in the world would one day do this and imagined all the planet's water sources befouled by unimaginable amounts of human excrement. I think now that this may happen in my own time.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

" ...wash it down...

if its yellow, let it mellow"



┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
BlueBerry Pick'n
can be found @
ThisCanadian
┄┄
"... tolerance of intolerance is cowardice..." ~ Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
"We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid.
┄┄
"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced"
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

By using the methods described in the article and in the comments, I've reduced my water bill (one person with a bunch of animals in one house) from about 1900 gallons a month to about 700 to 850. That is less than 30 gallons a day, including hosing out the garage, washing the clothes, dishes (by hand) and more.

The average American uses about 150 gallons per per day at home.

Another very easy-to-do conservation measure is to dry clothes by hanging them inside rather than by throwing wet clothes in the dryer. That saves a lot of money and CO2 emissions. The key thing to do with hanging clothes, is to do this: after they dry, put them in the dryer and tumble them with no heat for about 10 minutes. They come out the same as if they were dried by the standard 8000 watt heater in the dryer. And it is less wear-and-tear on the clothes too.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

How about someone in the toilet business designs a holding tank for shower/bath water, that could and should be reused - for flushing? All it would take to fill the toilet tank would be a small, efficient electric pump turned on by dropping floater valve...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

If you don't have enough water in the tank (as with newer "water saving" commodes) you may have to flush 2 or 3 times to get it all down. The new ones use 1.6 gallons a flush -- and compare that to maybe 4,000 gallons in a backyard swimming pool!

On the other hand, you can install a urinal, which is cleaner with less spash, and also uses less water.

And in a pinch you can not drain the tub after a bath and use a bucket of that (or other wash water) to flush, or water the garden with, as some people did back when I was in NJ during a drought.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Seriously. Every morning my routine is the same: Crawl out of bed, stroll into the kitchen, start the coffee pot brewing, and head out the back to our garden to take a piss...Not on the lawn or tomato plants, but in an out-of-the-way spot containing weeds.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Why doesn't someone design an improved toilet with a dual flush system? Then someone could select either solid or liquid flushing and the toilet would use only a tiny swish for liquid waste and a moderate amount of water to take away the poop. No need for smelly bathrooms or water wasting just an easy choice of flush volume.

I also saw a cool toilet at the Mercury Cafe in Denver. There is a mini-sink on the lid. When you flush a little clean water runs for hand washing with the waste water filling the tank for use as gray water to be used to flush into the bowl with the next flush. I wonder if the little bit of washing soap might also help keep the toilet bowl clean?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

...my family has been doing this for years. We had, up until recently, a very crappy septic system that would always back up. So it was kind of mandatory to do this. Still... I did flush it sometimes 'cause it got really rank. Here's a clue-- when the piss starts to turn orange or your toilet starts to look like it's filled with egg drop soup, I think it's time to break down and waste some water.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

We use them in Aspen. But water is plentiful elsewhere. The ability to not worry about where the next water flow is coming from is called 'standard of living'.

Flushed water goes back to the Earth, unlike petroleum. And we have the resources to have reverse osmosis plants.

Composting toilets? Well, if you're living off the grid, grow your veggies. Most of us don't want to be bothered by that shit.......... [ LOL ]

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Well, when I grew up out in the country we
had an outside toilet (outhouse). No flush;
two seater, no waste of water, and a couple of
times a year the "honeydippers" came around
and cleaned it out and spread lime around. Wanna go back to that?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

... what proportion of total water use is composed of total domestic consumption? Beware of the pejorative focus on the little guy while mining and agricultural industries waste zillions of gallons to feed international trade. If domestic users saved 50% of what they use, what percentage impact would that make on overall consumption? Sure, even smalltime waste is still waste. But beware of focusing on the mouse in the loungeroom so that the elephant can wreck the house without let or hindrance.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The problem is we use fresh, clean water to flush.

When I was in the Navy, fresh water was a premium on ships, so we used sea water to flush the toilets.

It would be fairly simple to use "grey water," that is, water from sink drains to flush the john?

Just divert water from the sink, bathtub, and shower to a holding tank, and fill the toilet tank from this source.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

As a male it is easy for me to do #1 into wide mouth pint juice bottles, esp at night. Then I dump and rinse 3x at sink, putting rinse water in the bowl. A few drops of rubbing alcohol in each and screwing lids back on keeps them clear of bacteria.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

You have made a GREAT point about mining and ag interests being the major wasters. We need to conserve at home and at the office, but reallky need to get industry and mining and farming to do their share to stop their wasteful practices.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I'm glad I have no close contact with any of those people who don't use toilet paper. I love to eat pussy, but knowing this fact about my partner would be a total buzzkill.

Of course I don't use much toilet paper, either, because I usually take a shower after I crap, so I clean myself thoroughly.

Many of the early Christians were filthy; they considered regular bathing to be a sinful luxury. It appears that our eco-Puritans have adpoted this attitude, judging by how bad some of them smell when I have to deal with them in the course of my employment.

You can do what you want, but as for me, I will continue to flush every goddamn time I shit or piss, and I will take a hot shower every day, and sometimes more than once a day, whenever I work up a sweat. I always take a shower after my workout, and after any activity that makes me sweat. I love a relaxing shower after working in the garden, or especially after sex; it often leads to more sex, which leads to another shower. I live in a place with an excellent water supply; even during the drought of 1988 there were no mandatory restrictions on water use, due to the capacity of our resevoirs, and so there is no reason to be parsimonious. And even if I lived in California I wouldn't appreciably change my water habits; it would be more expensive, but I could afford it. I'd still flush the damn toilet every time; otherwise it stinks and it's unsanitary.

But on the other hand I never water my lawn, nor do I use any chemicals on it, so it often turns brown in the summer, but I don't give a damn. Of course I do regularly water my vegetables, and when necessary my trees, especially the newer ones. I have a baldcypress up here, and it needs a lot of water, and so do my willows and river birches.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]