Conserving water is the smart, economical thing to do. Here are some facts about household conservation and what people are doing to decrease their water bills and help the environment. This chart (see right) displays the percentage of water usage around the house. The water consumption of toilets is only surpassed by showers and baths; this is the reason why many are researching and investing in low flow toilets in their homes and offices. In the United States for example, about 4.8 billion gallons of water is used every day to flush waste. Since toilets account for nearly one third of building water consumption, the potential for savings in this area is significant. The benefits of the dual flush toilet are well documented. The California Urban Water Conservation Counsel did a summary of dual flush toilet studies from all over the world. Here are the highlights.

"The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Veritec Consulting of Ontario, Canada.

Average flush volume:
Before: Inefficient fixtures (average) 3.72-gpf
After: Dual-flush fixture-commercial 1.22-gpf
Dual flush fixture-residential 1.11-gpf"

"Study findings revealed no significant increase in flushing frequency with the installation of the dual-flush fixtures."

Water conserved over high-volume fixtures "(average 3.9-gpf) with dual flush units yielded a water savings rate of nearly 12,000 gallons per year."

"Finally, the study also compared dual-flush fixtures with new 1.6-gpf fixtures and showed that the dual flush fixture used 23 to 32 percent less water than these conventional 1.6-gpf fixtures."

"Seattle - Residential Fixtures and Appliances In the Seattle study, "

"Average flush volume:
Before: Inefficient fixtures 3.61-gpf
After: Conventional 1.6-gpf fixtures 1.54-gpf
Dual flush fixtures - 1.6/0.8-gpf 1.25-gpf"

Water conserved over high-volume fixtures "10,600 gallons per year per home,"

Water savings over conventional 1.6-gpf fixture "amounted to 9,000 gallons per year."

"Oregon - Save Water and Energy Education Program (SWEEP)"

"Average flush volume:
Before: Inefficient fixture 3.9-gpf
After: Conventional 1.6-gpf fixture not measured
Dual flush fixture-residential 1.3-gpf"

Water conserved on average "11,550 gallons per year"

Based on the numbers in the Seattle study the The California Urban Water Conservation Counsel says

"What happens when a family of four replaces all their toilets with new high efficiency models. The family would save more than 14,000 gallons of water per year by installing 1.6 gpf toilets and more than 17,000 gallons of water per year by installing dual flush toilets!"

Another study done in the UK states a "27% average savings resulting from dual flush installation"

All of the above studies confirm a dual flush toilet is the best way to conserve water in your home.

Everyone is becoming more aware of water conservation and the effects that it can have on the environment. To encourage people to conserve, many governments are instituting toilet rebate programs. These rebate programs will offer money to replace your old toilet with a new more efficient toilet. The city of Los Angeles is one place in the United States that offers such a program. To view what they are doing to conserve water go to The City of Los Angeles Water Services. Another example is the Province of Alberta, Canada. This government acknowledges how important water conservation is and has a visionary policy to try to protect water resources.For information on whether your Province or State has adopted a water conservation program visit their web site or call your local representative.