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Homes and Water Waste

© Savithri Shimada

What happens to waste water from households is important because poorly treated waste can contribute to algal blooms in local rivers and bays, and possibly spread disease.

Another cause for concern is the huge volume of water being consumed worldwide, especially in developed nations. One effect of this is the lowering of the water table. In many areas, we are witnessing an ironic situation where the water table is becoming so low due to water consumption that local lakes are also losing volume, because they are also largely filled by the underground water supply. Because these lakes are valuable as recreational sites or as natural habitats for water birds, local governments are paying for water to be pumped back into the lakes - the water coming from municipal supplies that originally came from the groundwater ... It makes no sense, but it is true.

Obviously, consumers need to change their water consumption habits. There are minor lifestyle changes such as only turning the water on to rinse and wash when brushing teeth or shaving, or taking shorter showers, or only using the dishwasher or washing machine for full loads. Such adjustments to entrenched habits can actually dramatically reduce water usage. But when it comes to some things, such as washing machines and toilets, there is really little we can do to save water. This is where engineers have been working in the past twenty years, and have managed to come up with partial solutions that require no major change in thinking.

In the United States, all toilets installed in recent years have been designed to consume about two-thirds of the water used in previous models. This is according to new national laws. For at least ten years in Australia and Japan, all new toilets have by law had dual flush systems. Dual flush systems save more water than the "low water" models mandated in the United States. They either have two buttons, or the lever is pulled up or pushed down for full or half flush, and the reason they use less water is because the "low-water" models must consume enough water to flush solid wastes, while with dual flush systems the half flush mode uses far less water but is still sufficient for liquid waste. For those houses that already have an old WC, there are installation kits available that can either reduce water consumption or convert the system to a dual flush form.