Today I installed a Toto Aquia dual flush toilet in my bathroom. My old toilet was developing some serious cracks in the bowl and in the base, it was ready to be retired. I took out the old toilet and set about the business of installing the Aquia. This toilet has a dual flush feature, which means that it has two flushing buttons. One button uses .9 galllons (3.4 liters) of water per flush for liquids, the other flushes 1.6 gallons (6 liters) for solids. These dual flush toilets have long been available in Asia and Europe, but are just starting to make their presence felt in the U.S.A. For those of us living in drought-prone areas (such as Los Angeles and Southern California), this is good news. The water savings over the course of a year are impressive. According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power,

A dual-flush toilet allows the user to select either full or half flush. The amount of water saved with dual-flush toilets depends on the frequency with which the full and half flushes are selected. On average, dual flush toilets are estimated to use 20 % less water than standard efficiency 1.6 gallon per flush toilets.

By using a dual flush toilet, you are saving water without sacrificing the performance of an ultra-low flush toilet that uses 1.6 gallons per flush. While the installation of the Aquia is slightly different than that of a standard toilet, it is still surprisingly easy. I would recommend this product to anyone who is interested in conserving water and saving on their water bill. I think that the design of this product is very attractive as well, with a small footprint and clean, curving lines. It is definitely modernist in its design. If you are interested in getting a low-flush toilet for you home or apartment, please contact abdi@ergo-eco.com. Although the LADWP stopped giving rebates for dual flush toilets last year, you'll find that they are still competetively priced with conventional 1.6 GPF designer toilets. And they are doing much more for the environment and your pocketbook as well.