Hawai'i's Environment
Low-flow can save you dough
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist
One of the hallmarks of water conservation efforts is the move to get people to use more water-efficient appliances.
That includes low-flow shower heads and, of course, water-efficient toilets.
People love to hate these devices, but despite arguments to the contrary, studies suggest they do reduce water use.
An effort to repeal the national standard of 1.6-gallon-per-flush toilets was defeated in Congress last year, but is expected to return this year.
Bathroom water closets have come a long way since the 1950s, when a seven-gallon flush was standard, to the 5.5-gallon flush of the '60s, the 3.5-gallon johns of the '80s and finally, the 1.6-gallon ultra-low flush commodes of the '90s.
The changes were designed to save water, and they appear to do so, although not as much as some expected.
Cutting the flush from 3.5 to 1.6 gallons ought to cut toilet water use in half, but one study suggested the actual reduction is only about 40 percent — still dramatic, but indicative of a problem.
Various Mainland surveys estimate switching from a 3.5- to a 1.6-gallon standard saves roughly 30 gallons of water daily, or about 10,000 gallons annually for a family of four. Some suggest the savings can be as high as 25,000 gallons for a family of four.
At Hawai'i water rates of roughly $2 per 1,000 gallons, that works out to $20 to $50 per year in savings, and substantially more in areas where sewer rates are based on water use.
The problem that leads to calls for the repeal of the standard is that some of the early designs of 1.6-gallon johns didn't work well. The solution: multiple flushing. The result: the same or greater water use and more frustration.
(One hint if you're shopping: Units with round bowls seem to be more efficient flushers than those with oval bowls.)
But plumbing manufacturers insist modern designs work better than the early ones, and independent studies seem to bear this out. Surveys in recent years suggest most folks are satisfied with their newer toilets.
The Plumbing Manufacturers Association says that federal legislation to let states set their own standards would lead to higher costs because builders would need to market different units based on individual states' rules.
"Low-flow standards really save water, and the costs of reverting to a patchwork of regulation would be passed on to consumers," the association said in a fact sheet on the topic.
The Environmental Protection Agency has a fact sheet available on the Web on high-efficiency toilets. Find it on the Web.
And if you're really interested in the topic, you can take a free online course on toilets at the Web site toiletology.com. At the end of the lesson is a list of sites with more information.
Jan TenBruggencate is The Advertiser's Kaua'i bureau chief and its science and environment writer. Call him at (808) 245-3074 or e-mail jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.
