The Joy of Sustainability #004 – Water-Wise Water Closet
Ka-whoooosh, sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh, glug-waahhhh…..sssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….
Okay, I did my best. Who can tell me what household object makes this sound?
Undoubtedly because my sound effect descriptions are terrible (I need to read more comic books), it is perfectly natural that you have no idea. The correct answer is the humble toilet! And in my case, every time this sound was heard through my house, it lasted a long time because my toilets were old and from a time when water shortages were not really a thing in Hawaii (who’d have thought you could have a water shortage on a small island in the middle of the ocean?).
Out with the old, in with the new
When we first moved into our Hawaiian abode, the old toilets became an unlikely early nemesis. You might’ve used one before – they take an eternity to flush, performing a dramatic dance of filling the bowl to the brim before finally sending it all gurgling down the drain…and then takes 5 minutes to refill. Truly cringe worthy, especially if you’re a water-saving eco-warrior like I’m trying to be. And yes, I am that pain-in-the-butt that turns off faucets that others have “conveniently” left running.
But fret not, my fellow water-conscious pals, the day of reckoning finally arrived.
With the help of my mom and dad in town to visit (dad’s a DIY wizard), we decided it was high time to learn the high art of toilet swapping. And get some toilets that don’t take 5+ minutes to flush.
Our first mission: hunt for a water-efficient throne. Thankfully, it’s pretty much impossible to find a toilet that ISN’T water-efficient these days. Also, our local water utility was running a rebate program for low-water-use toilets. A 25% price cut? Count us in! We decided to go big and swapped out both toilets.
Then it was time to install – the install actually took a lot shorter than binge-watching a couple episodes of your favorite Netflix program. We unbolted the old relics, drained them of their watery insides, unhooked some water tubes, and lifted it right out. Out with the old, in with the new! We dropped the new one right on in the same spot, hooked everything up, and after a bit of leak-checking and tightening up of some pipe connections, we were able to get the new toilet on.
Another win-win-win
I never thought you could gain joy from a toilet.
Okay I take that back. I get joy from my porcelain sanctuary on a regular basis. It’s the only place in the house that guarantees one can bother you! I love my serenity seat. But now, my porcelain oasis is eco-friendly too! These water-wise wonders not only save gallons of water, which is a boon for the environment and helps combat the water shortage, but they also trim down our water bill. Plus, they don’t keep us waiting for a flush like they’re auditioning for a role in a slow-motion movie.
Anyway, getting my new toilets installed made me so happy: not only am I using less water which is better for the environment and helping with the water shortage, it’s also decreasing my water bill and doesn’t take forever to flush. It’s wins all around.
So, if you’re stuck with an old, water-guzzling toilet that could use a retirement party, I wholeheartedly recommend making the swap. You can snag a budget-friendly low-water-use toilet for as little as $100, and the savings on your water bill will likely pay for it in a few years. It’s a win-win-win!
Thanks for reading, everyone! Keep flushing with purpose and living sustainably.
9/26/2023 Update: My Newest Water Bill!
And my newest water bill arrived! And it’s the lowest I’ve ever seen! Even lower than the bill where we were gone for a lot of the month (March, 2023). Not only that, we had guests and homestays staying with us since mid-August, so our water usage should’ve been higher, but thanks to the new toilets, we’re using a lot less water!
