My sister has an interesting way of flushing the toilet. She lives on the sixth floor of an apartment in NYC and it takes a while for the water to get hot when she takes a shower. So while the water is warming up she shoves a bucket under the faucet.
When she needs to flush the toilet, instead of pressing the lever, she dumps the water from the bucket all at once into the toilet boil. The additional water kick starts the toilet’s siphon, which sucks down the dirty water waste.
She saves water by re-using the cold shower water and by only flushing the toilet when necessary. If it’s yellow…
I stayed with her recently and I was surprised how easy it was to adapt to her flushing system. I rather liked the idea of conserving water, though I did worry that we would forget to flush before guests came over. As soon as I got home I returned to my old ways.
Now, in honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I am trying to adopt my sister’s green habit. I installed a clear bucket under the shower faucet and feel greener already. Hubby says he is on board – as long as he still has the option of flushing the toilet the old fashioned way.
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April 21st, 2009 at 4:15 am
After 12 years of drought here in Oz, water is like liquid gold. Recycling water this way is pretty common (necessary) here. Level 6 water restrictions in our capital city meant showering with a bucket underfoot is an everyday occurence for many, not only to flush, but to do the clothes washing, water the garden, clean anything outside as using a hose is completely banned…we talk about depleting our natural resources but you wouldn’t think a country could run out of water. Did I mention we are building water recycling plants so that we can now drink our toilet water. Mmmm yum…
April 21st, 2009 at 5:22 am
Hi,
What a great idea! I’m always looking for specific tips that can really make a difference.
I’ll re-post this soon in our blog, http://www.sustainabilitythebook.com, with other tips and ideas on how to get greener.
Thanks.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:37 am
Hi Victoria, thanks for linking to this post instead of just copying and pasting it onto your blog.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:40 am
Wow, I wonder if these kinds of restrictions will spread to other areas. Can you share more info about how you have reduced your water usage? Thanks!
April 21st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Great idea! Julia, please send us more water saving ideas.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I keep empty two liter coke bottles under my kitchen sink and reclaim cold water as I am waiting on hot. The reclaimed water helps with hydration in the garden. It works perfectly.
Kudos to your sister and to you for flushing green!
April 21st, 2009 at 11:59 pm
[...] recently read a post on Bargain Babe about recycling shower water to use in the toilet and it reminded me about how saving water is not just about saving a few dollars, it’s about [...]
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:06 am
You inspired me to post some water saving tips on my blog.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
My family reclaimed shower water, as well as kitchen water, when we had a serious drought in the 70s. We also put a brick in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water needed to flush the toilet. My husband installed a drip system for the garden in the backyard, and a timer for the sprinklers in front. I now run the sprinklers only on Tuesdays and Fridays at 3 a.m. for 3-4 minutes, using reclaimed water for any hot spells that require more water. I doubt that I’ll be able to reduce usage by 15%, as is being proposed by the DWP.
April 24th, 2009 at 5:36 am
I turn on the hot water to brush my teeth before I shave and shower. I fill my drinking glass first and by the time the water is hot, I’m done brushing and ready to shave and then the water is nice and hot for my shower.