My husband and I were talking the other day about advancements in home building. We were both surprised at the lack of innovation in home appliances and plumbing fixtures, mainly in the design of the toilet. The wonderful “luxury” item in homes today is always taken for granted, unless you are sixty years or older, and remember having to run in the snow to the outhouse when you were a kid. ( My mom has told me some wonderful stories about the outhouse she grew up with.)
Americans use about 100 gallons of water every day per person, and as a whole, our nation uses 4.8 billion gallons of water daily just for flushing toilets. That’s a LOT of water getting flushed down the drain. To curb this “overuse” the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has developed the WaterSense Program that encourages smart water use and the development of products that are more water-efficient.
In recent years, toilets have been created that lower the amount of gallons used per flush, as well as the gallons used per minute. The ways toilets are designed today, we flush the same amount of water for solid wastes and liquid wastes, which is not too efficient. So finally we have some innovation coming on to the market. My husband will be so happy! LOLCalled the dual-flush toilet, users can now push one of two buttons, designating which type of “business” has been done, and saving water in the process. Pairing this with a toilet that only uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush, a significant amount of water can be saved each year. Of course this means no more “handle” to break off, and also means that the tank itself is changing. Tanks can now be concealed in walls, making your bathroom look more like one found in public restrooms and hotels. I think it is going to take some time for this toilet to catch on…
