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Every day, Americans use 5.8 billion gallons of water to flush their toilets. In an effort to promote water conservation, Federal law mandates that all residential toilets manufactured after 1994 must use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). As of 1997, commercial toilets were also required to reach this standard, and urinals were required to use no more than one gpf.

However, older models are still very common in residences and use between 3.5 to seven gpf. About three-quarters of indoor home water consumption takes place in the bathroom, and the toilet is responsible for about 28 percent of total home water usage. Excessive water use can be particularly damaging if your plumbing is connected to a septic system. Overloading the system with waste water reduces the soil's capacity to absorb treated water and requires that the septic tank be emptied more often, thereby increasing maintenance costs.[1]

But water consumption isn't the only eco-concern connected to toilets. Additional environmental concerns include the flushing of chemical cleaners and pharmaceuticals, the type and quantity of toilet paper used in homes and businesses alike, and the sheer volume of human waste washed into our water systems.

Flushing chemicals down the drain

Cleaning products used in the toilet can also pose risk to the environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites commercial toilet cleaners on its list of common household items containing potentially hazardous ingredients. The chemicals used in these cleaners are not only irritants and potential carcinogens, but they can also disrupt wildlife reproduction and strain wastewater systems. When these products are improperly disposed of—including using them for cleaning or pouring them down the toilet or putting them out with the trash—they are considered to be "hazardous household waste."

Another water threat is the improper disposal of common pharmaceuticals. A 1997 survey found that 63 percent of people have disposed of leftover medications in the past, either by flushing them down the toilet, throwing them in the trash, or giving them to another person. These leftover medications are referred to by the EPA as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Sales of over-the-counter medicines in the US have increased by 60 percent since the 1990s, adding to the disposal problem.

The water-energy connection

In conserving water, you also conserve energy. That's because water treatment and transport consumes a considerable amount energy-wise. According to the EPA, public water-supply and treatment facilities in the US use about 50 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. In these terms, letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as lighting a 60-watt light bulb for 14 hours. In California alone, water-related energy use consumes 19 percent of the state's electricity, 30 percent of its natural gas, and 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel each year.[2]

If only one percent of American homes replaced an older toilet with a high-efficiency toilet model, the country would save more than 38 million kWh of electricity. This is enough to supply more than 43,000 households with electricity for one month.[3]

Toilet paper

The WorldWatch Institute estimates that US toilet paper sales were $5.7 billion in 2005. The average per capita use of toilet paper in the US is 23.0 kilograms, or 50.7 pounds per year.[4] Some facial/bathroom tissue companies, such as Kimberly-Clarke (makers of the Kleenex brand) unsustainably harvest old growth forests to manufacture disposable paper products.

The production of virgin fiber bathroom tissue products is contributing to the destruction of vast tracts of forest lands (most of which are in Canada) that have existed for thousands of years. Yet, worldwide forest ecosystems are critical to maintaining life on Earth. They filter the air, stabilize climate by absorbing CO₂, and provide habitat for 90 percent of all land-dwelling plants and animals.[5]

Only 19 percent of paper pulp is from recycled content. Many companies, including Kimberly-Clarke, play up their use of virgin pulp, suggesting it produces softer paper products. Yet there is no evidence that these claims are true.

Another major problem with toilet paper is the way the pulp is processed. Chlorine dioxide is often used as a bleaching agent in toilet paper manufacturing. This process creates hundreds of chemicals that are released into the environment, including dioxin, a known carcinogen.

Human waste pollution

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has reported that in 2005 there were more than 20,000 closings and advisories at public and private beaches. The bulk of these closings were due to improperly functioning sewage treatment plants and septic systems. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 1 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into US waters annually. That comes to 3,000 gallons for each person in the country.[6] A composting toilet deals with the waste on-site, so it's not transported anywhere, and there is no chance of large-scale leaks and spills.

Composting toilets allow human waste (appropriately termed humanure) to compost into a rich fertilizer that can be used around trees and gardens.[7] Not only do they eliminate the problem of sewage water disposal and potential spills, but they also reduce home water consumption.

Glossary

• dioxin: Dioxins are extremely persistent chemical compounds that are created inadvertently by human activities like incineration and fuel combustion. Dioxins break down slowly so they persist in the environment for many years. Exposure to dioxins may cause adverse health effects, such as cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, and skin disease.
• old growth forest: Also known as virgin forest, ancient forest, or primary forest, this is an area of forest which has attained great age, containing a variety of vertical layers of vegetation, including large live trees. These forests may also be home to many rare species that are dependent on these ecologically unique old growth features.
• pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): Abbreviation coined by the EPA and includes controlled substances, over-the-counter medicines, prescription drugs, and vitamins.

External links

• Eartheasy - 25 Ways to Save Water at Home
• Earth 911 - Why are Pharmaceuticals Hazardous?
• Envirolet - Composting Toilet World The Official Website of Composting Toilets
• How Toilet Paper Is Made
• Natural Capitalism - Aqueous Solutions
• Toiletology 101: Everything you need to know about toilet repairs, free and online.
• WaterSense - Efficiency Made Easy: Final Specifications for High-Efficiency Toilets: EPA's standards for water-efficient toilets.