Water Consumption

[HB13DISH]

Every time I get the bi-monthly water bill from the local municipality, I nearly get a heart attack.
The bill shows the number of cubic feet consumption and then have another column with the total actual consumption and call it sewage consumption.
This means that if the total consumption is 10 Cu/m, the sewage figure is also 10 Cu/m at slightly less cost and I end up paying for 20 Cu/m.
A daylight robbery. )(-red

So I have decided to look for ways to use less water, especially as we are having less and less water from rain every year and the prices are going up all the time.
I found this website with some info
_http://www.uswitch.com/Water/How-Much-Water-Use.html

It seems that flushing the toilet can be a rather costly act. We have a water flushing container with 2 levers: One for draining the whole container and the second for draining half the quantity.
Since I always push the first lever out of habit, I just put some sticky tape so it won't move and this would force me to use the second lever.
I think that 8 litres is a bit too much, so i will just try the 4 litre per flush for the time being.
I know that a certain member makes Budweiser out of this, and it is certainly a better way to conserve on water.

Question is what is the absolute minimum consumption per day that is really necessary to stay clean and yet conserve on water consumption?

 

[2cvbloke]

There's no easy way to save water that you need to stay clean and to drink, but showering instead of bathing is one good option, and you can get a setup which recycles the waste water from a shower to use in the toilet, that way you have a decent stockpile of flushing water and you're not flushing fresh water away...

Also, complain to your water authority, if you feel you're being overcharged they can fit a water meter to your main inlet pipe so that you and they know the actual useage rather than a guesstimate which often is just based on the average usage of your area...

 

[rolfw]

We have a water meter and our bills aren't too bad. Have found that limiting the flow from the cistern (we have a water filled bag in ours), can in some cases mean that a second flush is required, so in fact uses more water, time to get a new one with dual buttons I suppose.

We don't water the garden with tap water, using collected rainfall instead, it's also surprising how much water can be wasted if family members leave the tap running whilst brushing teeth or shaving.

We shower rather than bath, so limit usage that way as well.

 

[HB13DISH]

There's no easy way to save water that you need to stay clean and to drink, but showering instead of bathing is one good option, and you can get a setup which recycles the waste water from a shower to use in the toilet, that way you have a decent stockpile of flushing water and you're not flushing fresh water away...

Also, complain to your water authority, if you feel you're being overcharged they can fit a water meter to your main inlet pipe so that you and they know the actual useage rather than a guesstimate which often is just based on the average usage of your area...

I have a water meter to my main inlet pipe and they take a reading every two months. But for every actual cubic metre used, they charge the same number and call it sewage consumption.
I bet you don't have this kind of robbery in the UK.

The link in post #1 claims that 153 litres/day/head is needed. I will try to get as close to this number as possible.

 

[T_G]

Here in Germany you can have a cisterne and use it to collect rain water for your garden and flushing the loo. BUT, the loo flashing water circuit has to be completely independent from the normal water pipes to avoid contamination - which makes it very complicated.

One thing you got to bear in mind: If you reduce the amount of water for flushing too much you could have a problem later on with clogged sewage pipes, and maybe a hefty bill for the plumber. I suppose the amount of water used for each flush is there for a reason.

One sure way of reducing your water bill - use the work toilet more often

 

[HB13DISH]

Hi T_G,

We hardly have any rain during the whole year, so collecting rain water is not an option.

I am begining to think that 1/2 a container (~ 4 litre) should be adequate to wash away the "bud" and there is no clogging on liquids.
For the solid output, a whole container (~ 8 litre) is good enough and has been for years.
Taking constipation pills might help (must check the prices first)

The work option is a good idea since they are more efficient than at home. But I am also trying to look at the environment angle and it is water waste however one looks at it.

 

[Topper]

We hardly have any rain during the whole year, so collecting rain water is not an option.

I have never understood why Israel do not make more use of the underground saltwater basin that the Negev sits on. Even in the 70's we were experimenting growing cotton and salt tolerant crops. That vast basin of salt water could easily be

a:- Desalinated as already happens in Eilat with the seawater
b:- Used for flushing the toilet

However the water companies in Israel are as inefficient the same as in the UK and often when visiting Israel I see floods of water flowing down the dusty roads waiting for someone to plug the leak.

 

[Razor]

Funny the local river here is at an all time high and the council say if we have anymore rain it will burst it’s banks. But just last week they dug up the path outside my bar and installed a water meter. From next year I will have to start paying for water. I worry enough about what goes on down in the loos, without having to worry about much bloody water their using. Do they not know that here in Ireland it rains every day, we have too much water. If we start wasting the stuff maybe the river will go down.

 

[pgh13]

It seems that flushing the toilet can be a rather costly act. We have a water flushing container with 2 levers: One for draining the whole container and the second for draining half the quantity.
Since I always push the first lever out of habit, I just put some sticky tape so it won't move and this would force me to use the second lever.
I think that 8 litres is a bit too much, so i will just try the 4 litre per flush for the time being.

If you have an older system without the dual flush option, you can put something heavy, like a brick, in a plastic bag in the cistern to reduce capacity

 

[HB13DISH]

If you have an older system without the dual flush option, you can put something heavy, like a brick, in a plastic bag in the cistern to reduce capacity

I have a dual flush container. I just wasn't sure if 1/2 a container is enough.

 

[rolfw]

If you have an older system without the dual flush option, you can put something heavy, like a brick, in a plastic bag in the cistern to reduce capacity

Yes, that's what we have (slightly different version called a Hippo I believe), but as I say above, it can often lead to a second flush being required, so can end up using more water if you're not careful.

 

[dig deep]

Water bill was really nothing..... until I got that BIG pool

 

[HB13DISH]

Since my last post, I have been using the lever (button) to flush 4 litres instead of 8 litres.
I think that it is such a waste of water using the standard system and it would have been better for male members of the family if the lavatory would also have a wall mounted urinal sanitary system, as shown.
If public WC can use just a squirt of water, then I don't see why there is a need to flush with 4 litres of water every time.
The added cost of the installation would be paid off over the years by saving on water consumption.
It would also solve the problem about lifting/not lifting the seat. ;)

 

[2cvbloke]

Since my last post, I have been using the lever (button) to flush 4 litres instead of 8 litres.
I think that it is such a waste of water using the standard system and it would have been better for male members of the family if the lavatory would also have a wall mounted urinal sanitary system, as shown.
If public WC can use just a squirt of water, then I don't see why there is a need to flush with 4 litres of water every time.
The added cost of the installation would be paid off over the years by saving on water consumption.
It would also solve the problem about lifting/not lifting the seat. ;)

Sounds like a good idea, I've often thought about it myself, but I'm not a plumber so I'd have no idea how to do it...

 

[T_G]

It would also solve the problem about lifting/not lifting the seat.

Sounds like a good idea, I've often thought about it myself, but I'm not a plumber so I'd have no idea how to do it...

Just because it is you, 2CV, I will pass on an old family tradition:
You stand in front of it, open the zip, let the hose out, aim, shoot and try not to miss. It is really easy, and anyone can do it, not just plumbers!

 

[2cvbloke]

Just because it is you, 2CV, I will pass on an old family tradition:
You stand in front of it, open the zip, let the hose out, aim, shoot and try not to miss. It is really easy, and anyone can do it, not just plumbers!

Erm, I do that already, I was thinking along the lines of when living with a woman who moans about the seat being left up, having a seperate Urinal, wilst also saving water, would mean that you never need lift the bogseat again (except for cleaning)...

Also, with my dodgy toilet, I can't actually keep the seat up so I'm very good at aiming and not making a mess...

 

[rolfw]

Erm, I do that already, I was thinking along the lines of when living with a woman who moans about the seat being left up, having a seperate Urinal, wilst also saving water, would mean that you never need lift the bogseat again (except for cleaning)...

What about number twos?

 

[2cvbloke]

What about number twos?

Er, you lift the lid, not the seat...

 

[PaulR]

it would have been better for male members of the family if the lavatory would also have a wall mounted urinal sanitary system,

Have you not heard of the delicately named problem called splashback with urinals?

I would think that the increased cleaning needed in the surrounding area would be a definite minus for your plans.

 

[rolfw]

Er, you lift the lid, not the seat...

Sorry, thought you were going to use the urinal for everything. ;)

I really can't see the problem with lifting the seat, is it too complex a set of movements, similarly with putting it back down.