I did some research and narrowed my choices down to two ratings of toilets.  1.6gpf toilets and high efficiency 1.28gpf toilets.  Both types I considered were single flush units.  Since I have three teenagers in my home, I opted not to consider the dual flush models that use less water.

I bought two toilets from my local home improvement store that were the store brand Glacier Bay 1.28gpf model.  After replacing two of the four toilets as a test, I was happy with the flush power and operation of both toilets.  Based on this information, I purchased two additional Glacier Bay 1.28gpf toilets and installed them in the last two bathrooms in the home.

To my dismay, I discovered that one of these two toilets had completely different hardware in the tank and a smaller flush hole.  After checking the model number on the box, all four toilets were of the same model.  It appears that the store brand toilet can come from different suppliers or with different hardware but will have the same brand and model number.

The toilet with the different flush hardware and smaller bowl began to leak water into the bowl from the tank after about a week of use.  I removed it from the bathroom and returned it to the store.  (thankfully they allow returns on toilets)  After getting permission from the store clerk, I went to the toilet section and opened boxes until I found the same model as the other toilets installed.  I replaced the defective unit and have been happy with the toilets’ performance over the past year.

I published a series of blog posts on Mapawatt Blog describing in detail my experience with the toilet upgrade.  In summary, I cannot recommend the Glacier Bay 1.28gpf toilets for two reasons:

1. Inconsistent Parts and Function – Since the store does not change the model number when they modify the parts of the toilet, I can’t make a recommendation on this model.
2. The Newer Hardware doesn’t work well – From what I can tell and through testing, the new hardware in this model toilet is not of the same quality or capability as the older flushing hardware.  It is likely that the newer hardware is less expensive to produce but this doesn’t help the consumer if it fails to perform well.

After several discussions with other community members and after installing two American Standard 1.6gpf toilets in a beach condominium, I have the following findings:

1. 1.28gpf Flushing Mechanisms have more Power than 1.6gpf flushing hardware – Even though I had trouble with the Glacier Bay 1.28gpf toilets, they still have more flush power than the 1.6gpf flushing hardware.  The action appears to be different since there is more water per flush.
2. Now that I’ve completed this research, if I could start over, I would choose the following toilet:  American Standard Cadet 3 Right Height FloWise Elongated Toilet.  This has the most powerful flush in its class and is comfortable due to the higher seat and elongated bowl.

I hope you find this helpful.  A couple of last notes: you should measure your bathroom to make sure the elongated bowl will fit if your existing toilet is a round bowl.  If you prefer the comfort of a wooden toilet seat, make sure to buy one when you purchase the toilet.  The American Standard Cadet and Champion series toilets come with a plastic toilet seat.

We want to hear from you about your toilet upgrade.  Did you find similar results or do you have a story to share with us?

Is it time to upgrade your toilet?

In my local newspaper last week, there was an article on water utility rates.  In Georgia, specifically the Atlanta suburbs, we have enjoyed low water utility rates for a very long time.  I live in a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath 3200 square foot home.  I don’t have a lawn sprinkling system but I do water my vegetable garden and some of my shrubs during the dry season.  My monthly water bill is anywhere from $20 to $40 depending on the season.  The article explained that water rates are going to be raised to help offset shortfalls in revenue and system upgrades.  My rates may triple soon.

I am now doubling my focus on conserving water in my home.  In past efforts, I have done the following:

1. Fix Water Leaks. I called a plumber and had him fix all of the dripping faucets and running toilets in the home.  He also inspected the entire water system for leaks.  This was the best money I’ve ever spent since my water usage dropped by 20%

2. Install Low-Flow fixtures.  I have aerators on all of my faucets but now have low-flow shower heads with on/off buttons.  I use less water per shower and turn off the valve when I’m not rinsing.  Unfortunately, I’m the only one in my household who does this consistently so the savings were minor. (I mean turning off the water valve.  We all take showers!)

3. Install drought-resistant shrubs.  I water my yard less now that most of the foliage is drought-resistant and doesn’t require daily watering.

I have always known that the biggest water waster in my home are the four 1991 vintage toilets.  They have large reservoirs and use around 5 gallons of water per flush.  Since the average person in the US flushes a toilet 4 times per day, that means I use around 30,000 gallons of water a year flushing toilets. (I reduced the number by 6500 gallons for flushes that happen at other locations)

If I install a 1.28 gpf low-flow toilet, I should be able to reduce my annual water usage by 25% or 7,500 gallons.  In addition, Georgia has a toilet rebate program that will pay a $100 water bill rebate for up to two toilets per home for a 1.28 gpf toilet on the approved list.  I’m starting to think that I will definitely be doing a toilet upgrade in my home this fall!

After doing a little research onine, it looks like the Kohler Wellworth Model K-11498-0 qualifies for the $100 rebate and has the highest flush power rating in its class.  It is also available from my local home improvement store.  I will likely upgrade the two most used toilets in the home first unless I can get a multi-toilet installation discount from my plumber.

I hope this has been helpful.  I will provide follow-up information after the toilet upgrade to let you know how well it worked.  Come visit the Residential Water Conservation forum at the Mapawatt Community to join the discussion on how to best conserve water in your home!

Bloom Energy Server and Water Conservation

Bloom Energy’s announcement last month of their new solid oxide fuel cell technology has the potential for being a disruptive technology for the national grid and for changing the way we think about energy consumption.  In addition to providing a secure, local and more efficient source of electricity, the Bloom Energy Server will provide us with a solution to the enormous amount of fresh water our current electricity generation system uses.

According to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, a coal-fired power plant consumes 500 billion liters of water per day or approximately 95 liters for every kilowatt of electricity generated.  The Bloom Energy Server recycles the water it uses for the reaction that generates electricity.  A single Energy Server is charged with 120 gallons of water and continues to reuse the water.  When evaluating the efficiency of these new fuel cells, we need to make sure attention is paid to its efficient use of water resources.

How a coal plant created electricity using fresh water

In my home, I use an average of 30kWh of electricity per day.  According to the information above, my energy use consumes 2,850 liters or 750 gallons of water per day.  Therefore, in one day’s energy usage, I consume  more than six times the water used just to start up a Bloom Energy Server!

I’m looking forward to Bloom’s future residential Energy Servers that will allow consumers to produce their own power at the point of consumption and reduce their water resource footprint.

Read how you can re-use greywater in your home in this great post on the Mapawatt blog.

As with so many natural resources, as long as prices in the marketplace fail to reflect full social and ecological costs, voluntary changes in consumption patterns will play an important role in the quest for sustainability.

1. We rarely think about water when we see an automobile, for example, but producing a typical U.S. car requires more than 50 times its weight in water (39,090 gallons)! Choosing a fuel-efficient model will help–it takes 44 gallons of water to refine one gallon of crude oil and up to 1,700 gallons of water to produce a gallon of ethanol.
2. A kilogram (2.2 lbs) of hamburger or steak produced by a typical California beef cattle operation, for instance, uses some 20,500 liters (5,400 gal.) of water.
3. Producing 1 lb of bread requires 500 gallons of water.
4. Producing 1 serving (8 oz.) of chicken requires 330 gallons of water.
5. Growing one cotton T-shirt requires 256 gallons of water (source: The King of California, by Arax and Wartzman)
6. Producing 1 egg requires over 100 gallons of water.
7. Producing 1 serving (8 fl. oz.) of milk requires 48 gallons of water.
8. Producing 1 serving (2 oz.) of pasta requires 36 gallons of water.
9. Producing 1 serving (4.6 oz.) of oranges requires 14 gallons of water.
10. Producing 1 serving (4.3 oz.) of tomatoes requires 8 gallons of water.
11. A typical American Thanksgiving dinner for six people requires over 30,000 gallons of water.

1. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows down evaporation. Saves 750 to 1,500 gallons a month.
2. If you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut down on evaporation. It will also keep your pool cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals. Saves 1,000 gallons a month.
3. Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus. Saves 300 gallons.
4. Don’t water the lawn on windy days. There’s too much evaporation. Can waste up to 300 gallons in one watering.
5. Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don’t water in the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers. Can save up to 300 gallons each time.
6. Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation. Saves 500 to 1,500 gallons each month.
7. Have an evaporative air conditioner? Direct the water drain line to a flower bed, tree base, or lawn.
8. Drive your car onto a lawn to wash it. Rinse water can help water the grass.
9. Tell your children not to play with the garden hose. Saves 10 gallons a minute.
10. If you allow your children to play in the sprinklers, make sure it’s only when you’re watering the yard–if it’s not too cool at that time of day.
11. Xeriscape–replace your lawn and high-water-using trees and plants with less thirsty ones. But do this only in wet years. Even drought resistant plantings take extra water to get them going. That’ll save 750 to 1,500 gallons a month.
12. When taking your car to a car wash–a good idea for saving water–be sure it’s one of the many that recycles its wash water.
13. Dispose of hazardous materials properly! One quart of oil can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water, effectively eliminating that much water from our water supply. Contact your city or county for proper waste disposal options. And don’t flush prescription medications!

1. If you wash dishes by hand–and that’s the best way–don’t leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. Saves 200 to 500 gallons a month.
2. When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.
3. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it for drinking. Saves 200 to 300 gallons a month.
4. Don’t defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.
5. Don’t let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan. Saves 150 to 250 gallons a month.
6. Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more (even better–compost!). Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.

1. Put a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted with pebbles and filled with water in your toilet tank. Displacing water in this manner allows you to use less water with each flush. Saves 5 to 10 gallons a day. That’s up to 300 gallons a month, even more for large families. Better yet, for even greater savings, replace your water-guzzling five to seven gallon a flush toilet with a one and a half gallon, ultra-low flush model.
2. If you’re taking a shower, don’t waste cold water while waiting for hot water to reach the shower head. Catch that water in a container to use on your outside plants or to flush your toilet. Saves 200 to 300 gallons a month.
3. Check toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets or food coloring into the tank. If color appears in the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak that should be repaired. Saves 400 gallons a month.
4. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Saves three gallons each day.
5. Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water to rinse your razor. Saves three gallons each day.

1. Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on your grass. If it springs back, when you lift your foot, it doesn’t need water. So set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. Saves 750-1,500 gallons per month. Better yet, especially in times of drought, water with a hose.And best of all, convert your lawn to native plants. 
2. Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints. Saves 20 gallons per day for every leak stopped.
3. Don’t run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end. Saves 150 gallons each time. For a two-car family that’s up to 1,200 gallons a month.
4. Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors. Saves 500 to 800 gallons per month.
5. Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. Saves 300 to 800 gallons per month.
6. Shorten your showers. Even a one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month.
7. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. Saves 150 gallons or more each time. At once a week, that’s more than 600 gallons a month.
8. Don’t use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Saves 400 to 600 gallons per month.
9. Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on house plants or your garden. Saves 200 to 300 gallons per month.
10. Don’t water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden where it belongs–and only there. Saves 500 gallons per month.

This journal is where I’m storing the research and information that I am discovering as I research the field of water conservation and efficiency.  I hope you enjoy this site.  Come back often to get the latest information available or subscribe to our RSS feed.

- Veggie Ranger