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Another Brick In The Toilet

shutterstock_90741890On the ENN blog we are always talking about simple ways to reduce our impact, whether it is weather proofing our home, increasing what we recycle, or remembering to turn off the lights after we leave the room. While browsing our affiliate Care2’s website I came upon the suggestion of “dropping a brick” into your toilet as a way to save water.

“Hold up,“ you say. “Dropping a brick in the toilet, is that some kind of poop pun?”

Yes, it is, but it is also a strategy to reduce the amount of water wasted while flushing the toilet.

The strategy of dropping a brick in the back of your toilet is not a new one. I can remember seeing a brick in the back of a toilet when I was a kid. The brick displaces the water in the back of toilet, keeping the pressure the same but causing the toilet to use a half a gallon less water per flush! The issue with dropping a “real brick” in the back of a toilet is that over time the brick may decompose, releasing pieces of sand and stone into your toilet bowl and pipes.

An easy fix for this would be to place your brick (or other solid object) in a plastic bag before placing it in the back of your toilet.

In 2014, about 1/3 of the States in the US have faced categorically serious drought, one of the most notable being California. According to the EPA Americans use more water flushing the toilet then any other water consumption category, including showering. Displacing the water in the back of the toilet can help reduce this waste of water.

Another fix is the “Drop-A-Brick” which is currently launching a campaign on Indiegogo. “Drop a Brick” is a lightweight rubber brick filled with expanding hydro gel. Below you can watch the promotional PSA for “Drop-A-Brick”. The video is “filled to the brim” of puns but also aims to help Californians address the drought from the security of their own toilet.

Happy Flushing!

 

Man in Toilet Via Shutterstock

by Maddie Perlman-Gabel

Tuesday, November 25th, 2014 at 12:12
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