Why is it important to conserve water?

Only 2.5% of all of Earth’s water is freshwater (water.org). Overall, less than 1% of the world’s freshwater (or 0.007% of all water on Earth) is easily accessible to humans. This means that we must take every possible step to conserve water.

The average American uses 100 to 176 gallons of water each day. The average African family uses 5 gallons of water each day. There are easy steps you can take to dramatically reduce your daily water usage.

How much water will dual-flush toilets save?

Caroma, the manufacturer of our toilets, estimates that you can reduce your toilet’s annual water usage by 80%. The average American uses about 70 gallons of water per day for personal use, and more than 18 gallons of this is used for toilet flushing. With an 80% reduction, this amount is reduced to about 3.5 gallons, saving about 15 gallons per day, a dramatic decrease in water use and improvement in efficiency.

The dual-flush feature can reduce your toilet’s water usage by 80%.

How long does it take before the dual-flush toilets pay for themselves?

Toilet installation by a plumber generally costs about $125 per toilet, and the toilets themselves cost a little over $400. This puts the total price at $525. Assuming you save 15 gallons per day (see previous question), this means the toilet would probably pay for itself in about 3-4 years in water savings.

Are there any other advantages to using this type of toilet?

Improvements in toilet technology mean these new toilets not only save water, but also are easy to maintain and rarely become clogged.

What are some other ways I can conserve water?

There are some easy steps you can take to reduce your water usage by 50% or more.

• Take shorter showers, use lower water pressure, and shower less often. Simply by reducing your daily showering time from 15 to 8 minutes, you can save 245 gallons per week. You can also save over 5 million BTU of energy (required for heating the water) – equivalent to driving a car 1,200 miles!
• Do laundry only when you have a full load.
• Check and fix leaks.
• Water your lawn when the sun is down. Doing so reduces the amount of water that evaporates and is “wasted.” Early morning is best – it helps prevent the growth of fungus.
• Install low flow showerheads.