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It’s time to talk toilets. On average we go to the loo and flush the toilet six to seven times a day, according to the Bladder and Bowel Foundation. This accounts for one-third of our total domestic water usage. We can’t avoid that, but we can find ways to save water in the toilet, helping conserve it and save money on our water bills too.
A significant 30% of our water use is accounted for when we flush the loo, coming second only to personal bathing at 34%, according to Waterwise, an independent group that campaigns on using water wisely. Therefore it makes sense that we should focus on saving water when we flush.
We’ve gathered some top tips on water saving for toilets, so take a seat and read on.
Save when you flush
A dual-flush toilet will use less water than a standard toilet, which only has one flush option. It uses a shorter flush for liquid waste and a longer flush for solid waste. You can expect a dual-flush toilet to save up to seven litres a time when compared to a standard toilet, which uses 13 litres of water per flush.
Ana-Maria Millan, policy manager at the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), says: “It might surprise people to discover that about a third of the water we use in the home comes from flushing the loo so it’s really important if you have a dual-flush toilet to make sure you’re using the right button, at the right time.”
If you don’t have a dual-flush loo and aren’t looking to update your WC anytime soon, you could purchase a dual-flush converter kit. For example, the Fluidmaster Toilet Flush Valve Conversion Kit is available at Screwfix for £24.49.
Research from consumer watchdog, the CCW went behind closed doors to explore households’ wasteful water habits. Its survey, Lifting the Lid: The Secrets of Our Water Habits reveals a few truths about how we use the toilet.
The CCW is using the research to discover where people are wasting water and how they can be encouraged to ease the pressure on water resources.
Toilet leaks waste water
Those small continuous drips at the back of your toilet cistern can add up to a whopping 400 litres per day of wasted water, according to Watersafe. While you can spot a leaky loo from the sound of the constant trickle at the back of the cistern, on some occasions there is no sound, and a leak can be missed.
For this reason, it’s always worth following these steps to see if your loo is leaking. Millan says: “Leave a dry sheet of toilet paper across the back of the pan for about three hours without flushing. If it’s wet or torn after that time, you have a leak that needs fixing.”
If you discover a leak, it’s best to get it repaired quickly to avoid wasting more water. The problem is likely to be a faulty flush or fill valve inside the tank, which can be repaired easily if you’re handy with DIY.
If you need to call in a plumber and don’t already have a recommendation, we’d suggest finding an approved contractor through Watersafe.
The Bathroom Manufacturers Association’s #GetLavvySavvy campaign shows how simple it is to prevent a leak in your loo and avoid water wastage.
Save your flushes for solid waste
We can all cut our water consumption by reducing the number of times we flush the loo, as it’s unnecessary to flush each time we spend a penny.
Cathryn Ross, strategy and regulatory affairs director at the UK’s biggest water company, Thames Water believes we should all follow the guidance in the well-known mantra: “If it’s yellow, let in mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down.”
Ross is quoted in The Times as saying: “The biggest thing people can do day-to-day [to save water] is [take] shorter showers and not flushing the loo every time.”
If you choose to let your wee mellow, we advise putting the lid down to make the whole bathroom experience more pleasant for the next user. And make sure your policy is known to the rest of the household.
If you have hygiene concerns about flushing the loo less often, you’ve got nothing to fear. ‘Toilet plume’ is the spray created when water from your flush meets with the waste. This spray contains fresh water and urine that leads to droplets floating about your bathroom. So reducing the times you flush will reduce the amount of toilet plume.
Displace water to save water
Placing a device in your cistern to displace water is a simple and inexpensive way to reduce water consumption. Popping a Save a Flush device – a water displacement bag – into your toilet cistern will displace around one litre of water each time you flush. You can buy one for £2.95 from Save Money Cut Carbon, or most water companies supply them for free. You can find your water company's details on the CCW's website.
Alternatively, you could place a sealed plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet cistern, which works like a water displacement bag. However, avoid adding any objects, such as bricks, which could crumble and cause problems with the toilet’s mechanisms.
Collect used water to recycle
Each time you flush the loo you’re using clean water – the same quality water that comes from your taps.
To save water when flushing the loo, you could keep a bucket by your bath or shower to collect the water while your shower is warming up, or to collect the leftover water from your bath, and use that to flush the loo.
f you have a downstairs toilet close to your kitchen, it makes sense to collect the grey water from your kitchen – such as the remaining water from washing-up or from washing fruit and veg – and use it to flush.
Water consumption and efficiency label
The no-water option
There is one way to eliminate the flush altogether – waterless compost toilets. They might not be for everyone, but they are one way to reduce water consumption and the carbon footprint associated with pumping and processing sewerage. And although you might not be ready to have one inside your house, a compost toilet could be a good option if you have an outhouse at the bottom of your garden.
WooWoo Waterless Toilets recommends the Swedish-made Separett Villa or Separett Tiny compost toilet for domestic users. They work by keeping the liquid and solid waste separate, making it easier to process.
“In most cases the urine is discharged to a small soakaway pit, where the natural bacteria and fungus in the earth will neutralise it,” explains Martin Doyle, product manager at WooWoo. “Faeces and toilet paper are captured and stored inside the toilet, within a biodegradable compost liner. But don’t worry, an automatic concealing screen hides the contents from view when you sit down.”
It’s only natural to be concerned about any potential odours, but you needn’t worry. “A lower power, constantly running electric fan ensures any foul air is vented outside and away, meaning the toilet is entirely odourless in day-to-day use,” adds Doyle.
“When the solids container is full (after 20-60 uses depending on the model), it can be transferred into an external compost bin, where nature takes over and starts creating a natural and safe compost that, given time, you can use as a mulch around trees and bushes.
