Talk about flushing money and scarce resources down the drain. Toilets are big users of water in the home, but there are ways that we can minimize the waste and improve water conservation.

The first thing you'll want to do is check for leaks. Add a few drops of food coloring into the tank and check the bowl for color over the following 30 minutes. If you do find that water is leaking from the tank into the toilet bowl when it's not in use, get it fixed.

Don't use your toilet as a trash can. It seems rather obvious, but that's what a trash can is for. When you toss tissues and other waste in the toilet with the sole purpose to flush it, you are wasting water.

Reduce the amount of water used by installing a displacement device. This sounds fancy, but can really just be a plastic bottle filled with pebbles or water, placed inside the tank. Make sure you don't place it where it will disturb the "mechanics" of the tank. And although you might have heard otherwise, don't use a brick. Bricks dissolve over time and will cause more problems in the end.

So how much water does a typical "normal" toilet use? If it's a pre-1980s toilet, you're most likely using 5 to 7 gallons per flush. Post-1980s, 3.5 gallons per flush. Compare that to the new low-flow toilets that only use 1.6 gallons each time.

When remodeling, install a low flow toilet. Many municipalities even offer rebates for households that install low-flow toilets. Check with your local authorities to find any existing program and if you qualify. If you have boys in the house, you might even want to consider installing a waterless urinal. That's much more useful than the bidet so many of us have taking up room in the bathroom!

Rebecca says: This post was inspired by Graham Hill of Treehugger having the guts to write "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" in this month's green issue of Domino magazine. Thanks for making me squirm enough to continue spreading the word.

Resources:

Earth 911

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (pdf)