Water Saving Toilet vs. Regular Toilet

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More than 47% of water use in the average American home occurs in the bathroom. Almost 25% of that water is being consumed by your toilet. Toilet use can vary significantly depending on their age. Older toilets use anywhere from 2.5 – 5 gallons all the way up to 7 gallons with every flush. However, federal plumbing standards now specify that new toilets can only use up to 1.6 gallons per flush.

Its true toilets account for the bulk of water use, by far more than any other water consuming product in your home. For example, you have an older toilet chances are it’s using a whopping 6 gallons per flush. You’re not only wasting water but you’re flushing your hard-earned cash down the drain.

Water Saving Toilet vs. Regular Toilet
So, how exactly does a high-efficiency toilet compare to a regular toilet?

New energy efficient toilets typically use about 1.6 gallons per flush. When you consider that your toilet may be flushed as many as 5 times per day you can easily use 15 – 35 gallons of water per day!

With a high-efficiency toilet, you can save up to 28 gallons of water a week.

Over a year you can easily save up to thousands of gallons by simply converting your toilet. If for example, you have a large family then a high-efficiency toilet is certainly a must.

How much water toilets use per flush?

Type of Toilet Toilet Consumption (Gallons Per Flush) Average Flushes Per Day Estimated Gallons Used Per Person Per Year
Older 7 5 12,775
Older 5 5 9,125
Older 3.5 5 6,388
Regular 1.6 5 2,920
High-Efficient 1.28 5 2,336

Curious about how much water your toilet uses per flush?
Oftentimes, manufacturers will stamp their toilet’s water usage per flush on the inside of the tank. Or, you can find the water usage on the “neck” of the toilet bowl. If all else fails then determining the age of your toilet is the key to figuring out its water use. Plumbing standards passed in 1992 required that toilets use no more than 1.6 GPF, so if your toilet was installed prior to 1992, then it likely uses 3.5-7 GPF.

Conserving Water In The Bathroom
If you have an older toilet and buying a new one is currently out of the question then don’t worry there are other options to conserve water. You can convert your current toilet into a water-efficient toilet. You can use a water-saving kit or you can retrofit it. Our water-saving toilet kits have all the tools you need to convert your single-flush toilet into a high-efficient dual flush toilet.

20 Water Conservation Facts You Won't Believe!

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Why Should You Care About Water Conservation?

Currently, in America, we waste 1 trillion gallons of water each year. Often times it goes unnoticed it could be as simple as a leaky shower faucet or a running toilet. Which may not sound like much initially but these trouble areas can quickly add up.
Unfortunately, water is a limited resource and a growing worldwide population contributes to a growing global water crisis. Despite much of the planet being covered in water only 1% of it is usable. The rest is either ocean water or frozen. Water is a limited resource it is more important than ever to practice water conservation.

Water Sustainability Facts In The Home

1. A five-minute shower can use 25 to 50 gallons of water.

2. The average bath takes 36 gallons of water.

3. Shaving using a filled sink basin is approximately 1 gallon.

4. Outdoor watering with an average hose uses 10 gallons per minute.

5. Fix that leaky faucet! If left alone it can waste up to around 100 gallons of water a day!

6. An automatic dishwasher uses approximately 9 to 12 gallons of water while hand washing dishes can use up to 20 gallons.

7. In a year, the average American residence uses over 100,000 gallons of water.

8. The average faucet releases 2 gallons of water per minute.

9. At one drip per second, a faucet can leak 3,000 gallons in a year.

10. The first water pipes in the U.S. were made from hollowed logs.

Indirect Water Conservation Facts

When we think of water conservation and usage we rarely consider indirect usage from everything we eat, purchase and use on a daily basis.
I bet you didn’t realize up to 70 percent of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture purposes. That means everything we eat plays an important impact on our water supply. Oddly enough every manufacturing process also consumes water. Imagine things like computers, cell phones, and clothes have an impact on our water supply as well.

  1. More than 1,300 gallons are required to produce a 12 oz. steak.
  2. It takes about 37 gallons of water to grow coffee beans and process them to make just one cup of coffee.
  3. About 6,800 gallons of water is required to grow a day’s food for a family of four.
  4. Current growth rates of agricultural demands on the world’s freshwater resources are unsustainable.
  5. It takes .26 gallons of water irrigate one calorie of food.
  6. It takes 2.6 gallons of water to make a sheet of paper.
  7. It takes 924 gallons of water to produce 2.2 pounds of rice.
  8. It takes 2,641 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans.
  9. It takes 52 gallons of water to produce one glass of pasteurized milk.
  10. It takes 39,090 gallons of water to manufacture a new car.

The Benefits Of Water Conservation

When we reduce the amount of water that gets wasted in our homes it helps protect wildlife and cut the energy needed for treating and pumping water for domestic uses. Better yet water conservation naturally yields way to reduce your household water bill.
It’s important to remember we can run out of water. Further excessive water usage takes a lot of energy, resources and time to purify and administer. For drought-stricken cities throughout the U.S., it may have to be pumped from hundreds of miles away. So, we at Water Saver believe if more people understand what goes into water, they’ll be more likely to conserve it.
How To Save Water In The Bathroom
Tackle Those Leaky Faucets and Shower Heads: According to a previous study, your leaky faucet could be wasting you 2,500 gallons of water per year. Implement a shower attachment that slows the flow of water so it doesn’t run while lathering. Making sure your faucets and shower heads aren’t leaking is a good first step to water conservation.
Turn Off Water While Brushing Your Teeth: I know what you’re thinking this is a no-brainer right..? Well, did you know standard bathroom faucets use 2.5 gallons of water per minute? By turning off the water while brushing your teeth you could save 5 gallons of water per day. You can potentially save hundreds of gallons of water per year.
Take Short Showers: We know how tempting it can be to those long hot showers during the winter time. But keep in mind that showers use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. By keeping your shower time to a minimum it saves a lot of water. Keep in mind bathrooms account for approximately 75% of the water used in our homes. By practicing water conservation in your bathroom you can dramatically save on your water bill each month.
How to Save Water in The Kitchen: If the bathroom accounts for 75% of the waste in the home the kitchen accounts for the other 20%.
Install an efficient low-flow faucet: Older faucets tend to flow at 5 gallons per minute. By simply getting a new faucet you can save 3.5 gallons every minute.
Stop Defrosting Food With Cold Water: This is very wasteful. Instead, plan ahead set your food out a day in advance in your refrigerator.
Save Water In The Dishwasher: Always run your dishwasher when it’s full. Even if you use a water efficient dishwasher it’s still important to wait until the appliance is full before turning it on. This is because the dishwasher always uses the same amount of water despite the size of the load. This is why you should only turn it on when you are running full loads.
On average 95% of the water entering our homes gets wasted. It’s important to remember water is not cheap or limitless. We have to use this natural resource wisely and diligently practice water conservation.

How To Save Water In The Kitchen

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With the vast majority of our planet covered in water, it’s hard to believe we could ever have a scarcity. However, there are pockets of people throughout the world who experience water scarcity. People living in areas where water is scarce understand the importance of conservation. The good news is that we can get make a difference today by conserving water in the kitchen.

Everyday Water Conservation Begins In The Kitchen

When it comes to conserving water in the kitchen a few small steps can have a dramatic impact. Give these 10 best practices a try in your kitchen today to reduce water waste!

Always Run a Full Load In The Dishwasher

We get sometimes you just want to use your cereal bowl that’s currently resting in the dishwasher. But wait a minute before you press that button.

“The average dishwasher will use approximately 10 to 15 gallons of water per load.”

Remember dishwashers use their fair share of water, no matter how full they may be.

Don’t be fooled: A dripping faucet adds up!

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. I don’t need to fix that leaky tap just yet. It can wait until tomorrow… After all, it’s just a tiny drip. How much harm could it do?
Drip … Drip … drip
Besides being very annoying those drips can add up dramatically. For example, one household with 4 faucets that drip every minute could waste up to 138 gallons of water per year!

Invest in a Pitcher

Keep a container of drinking water in your refrigerator. A pitcher of water is ideal. With cold drinking water on hand, you’ll waste less than you would while waiting for the temperature to cool down.

Use The Right Amount of Water

When cooking, pay special attention to read the instructions. And only use the amount of water required. This reduces water waste while straining your food.

Repurpose Cooking Water

You can’t use just any type of cooking water. Only, unsalted cooking water (from pasta, potatoes or vegetables) can be repurposed to water plants. Of course, let it cool to room temperature first before transferring to plants.

Defrost that Food!

Zap your food in the microwave or let it thaw overnight. Avoid using running water to thaw your dinner.

Kick Your Water Bottle Habit

It takes 1.5 gallons to manufacturer one plastic water bottle (contents notwithstanding). Instead, get a water filter for your drinking water. This will help you save water in the kitchen.

Eat More Vegetables

Did you know it takes a considerable amount of water to produce agriculture?

In fact, agriculture is responsible for 80% of all water consumed.

Eating lower on the food chain is a good strategy for reducing the amount of water required to meet your dietary needs.
 

Ditch That Last Cup Of Coffee

Or, if satisfying your coffee fix is a must, opt for tea instead. Since coffee has one of the highest water footprints per pound! Think about this!

It takes about 37 gallons of water to grow the coffee beans and process them to make one cup of coffee.

Repurpose Raw Vegetable Waste

If you have space rather than tossing vegetable or fruit waste out, use it to compost!
Compost is spongy and absorbent. A hundred pounds of average soil (a 1×10-foot row tilled six inches deep) with a pound of compost mixed in will hold an additional 33 pounds (4 gallons) of water. Take the organic content to five pounds, and that hundred pounds of soil will hold nearly two hundred pounds (25 gallons) of water! Compost is an excellent way to increase the water holding power of root systems, which is vital to growth.
Do the environment a favor and give these 10 best practices a try to conserve water in the kitchen!
Recommended Reading: Water Conservation Facts You Never Knew Existed!