Putting the Lid On Water Waste: New Toilets Are Going Green In Lieu of Gallon Guzzling

Putting the Lid On Water Waste: New Toilets Are Going Green In Lieu of Gallon Guzzling

By Jura Koncius
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 18, 2007; Page H01

Americans are finally flushing away old attitudes about toilets.

Consumers who have already embraced eco-friendly living in kitchens, gardens and cars are targeting the bathroom, the largest drain on indoor water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average family of four uses 280 gallons of water a day indoors, and toilets account for about 27 percent of that. So in sustainable circles, the question of the moment is "How low is your gpf?" -- which, for the uninitiated, stands for gallons per flush.

Toilets made before 1994 were real water guzzlers, using from 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. In 1994, federal law mandated that new toilets had to conform to a new standard of 1.6 gpf. The quest for improvement has led to other innovations, including dual-flush technology, which uses as little as 0.8 gallons to dispose of liquid waste and 1.6 gallons for solid waste.

Long used in Europe, Japan and Australia, and a favorite of the American green building community, dual-flush models are now being widely specified for newly constructed condos, beach house developments and colleges, and are being used in home remodeling projects. Costs range from $200 to $500 for most models.

The dual-flush, dubbed "the eco-throne" by Popular Science magazine, is experiencing a sales boom in this country. A spokesman for Australian manufacturer Caroma, which has sold the dual-flush for more than 25 years, says U.S. sales doubled in the past year. Some water-challenged municipalities are offering residents discounts on dual-flush toilets, or even free ones (see sidebar ).

"Anything to save water," says Florence Fasanelli, who installed a $395 Toto dual-flush model in her bungalow in American University Park. She keeps her thermostat low in the winter, uses a tankless water heater and drives a Prius. "We all have to do our part."

The EPA is stepping up efforts to publicize the benefits of conserving water. "We believe water efficiency is the blue wave of the future," says Benjamin H. Grumbles, the EPA's assistant administrator for water. Last year the agency introduced Water Sense, a labeling program similar to the Energy Star rating for appliances, to alert consumers to water-efficient products.

Next week the EPA is scheduled to release a voluntary 1.28-gpf-or-less specification for high-efficiency toilets, down from the 1.6 mandated in 1994. Consumers can choose a more water-efficient fixture for even greater savings on their water bills. Manufacturers that meet the 1.28-gpf standard will be eligible to display the Water Sense logo.

Low-flush toilets haven't always had great reviews. When the new federal mandate on toilets took effect in 1994, the first generation of weak 1.6-gallon models prompted waves of consumer complaints: One flush was not doing the job, and multiple flushes were negating water savings. There were stories of people hoarding 3.5-gpf models and of an underground market in older toilets. It took a few years for manufacturers to fix the problems. Although consumers were not required by law to rip out their old toilets, newly installed units had to meet the 1.6-gpf guideline. An EPA study in 2003 estimated that 45 percent of America's 222 million toilets still did not meet the standard.

Last year the EPA awarded its first Water Efficiency Leaders (WEL) awards to spotlight water-efficient products and practices. Toto USA, a pioneer in the development of the 1.6-gpf toilet, was one of six WEL winners. (Another winner was the New York State Funeral Directors Association, which reduced the volume of water used in an embalming from 120 gallons to an astonishing 5 gallons.)

Dual-flush toilets are going upscale. Last year Toto introduced the dual-flush Aquia, a stylish two-piece "skirted" design (smooth porcelain from rim to floor) available in six colors, including black and biscuit. According to company spokeswoman Lenora Campos, a family of four using the dual-control model could save 7,000 gallons of water a year beyond what is already saved by the standard 1.6.

Dual-flush models once were available mainly through plumbing wholesalers and kitchen and bath showrooms. But that is changing. Home Depot says it carries several models in its stores, and Lowe's carries two available by special order.

A few weeks ago Cristina Cenciarelli called her children -- ages 12, 10 and 7 -- into the remodeled powder room of their 1920s Baltimore home for updated toilet training on how to use the two-button control. But only the 7-year-old needed the lesson.

"My kids are already familiar with dual-flush, because we visit my family in Italy every summer," says Cenciarelli, who comes from Rome, where two-button toilets are the norm. "They know that when they go for Number One, they flush the Number One button, which is smaller in size. And for more, they flush the other one."

The ladies' rooms at the EPA offices in the new green Potomac Yard office complex in Arlington are equipped with 84 Caroma dual-flush toilets. There is still a learning curve for some of these products. "I was on the tour with four women, so we went into an unoccupied women's room," says Dale Kemery, a spokesman for the agency. "The tour guide was proud to open the stall door and point to the two buttons on top of the toilet. Then one of the women on the tour said, 'How are you going to flush that with your feet?' "

Dual Flush Toilets in the Washington Post
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