Sinks meld with toilets to save water

Everyone has a routine. We tend to do the same things in the same way at approximately the same time. We don't even have to think about our actions because they become automatic. Pick up the toothbrush, turn on the faucet, brush the teeth, turn off the faucet. Inertia is a fundamental principle of physics, but it may as well be a fundamental principle of psychology. It often takes some other force, some outside energy, to knock us out of our patterns before we make the effort to change. Water shortages are forcing communities in arid regions to adapt - but we can make simple changes to our routines now, before we face high water bills and usage restrictions.

Most of our indoor water is routed through the bathroom, and the toilet is the main consumer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than a quarter of a household's total water supply is flushed down the toilet. A leaky toilet wastes about 200 gallons of water every day. Meanwhile, the sink is sitting next to the toilet and losing water down the drain. Rather than let this water escape, why not put the sink on top of the toilet and let the water run into the holding tank? You can wash your hands with clean water and then flush without worry. Combination toilet/sinks have been available in Japan for years and are now being offered in the United States by companies like Caroma and Gaiam.  

Another simple water saving device recently won recognition on an ABC series called The New Inventors. The Cullector catches the water that usually gets wasted while you're waiting for the temperature to change, then reroutes the water back through the faucet. Changing your showering habits can also help. A navy shower, named for the problems that come with a lack of clean water aboard naval bases, only uses about two minutes of water. You simply turn on the water to wet yourself, turn off the water while you soap up and then turn on the water to rinse off the soap. A two-minute shower only uses about four gallons of water, in contrast to the average 35 gallon bath or 20 gallon shower.

Besides moral satisfaction and lower water bills, you can get some money back by replacing old washing machines with energy efficient versions in cities like Spokane. The county offers $100 rebates to residents who purchase high-efficiency toilets between now and December 2010.

If you're handy around the house or don't mind the cost of having one installed, you might even try a compost toilet and grow your own fertilizer while reaping the benefits of a flushless system. Just be careful of the smell!