A gesture as ordinary as it is automatic, one we almost never question: flushing the toilet. Yet, simple urination doesn’t necessarily demand this reflex. What if this small daily action was giving, without our knowledge, to significant water waste? It’s a surprising question, but one worth asking. What you’re about to discover might just make you rethink your routine…
Drinking water: a valuable resource that we waste without thinking
Every time you flush the toilet, between 3 and 9 liters of drinking water go straight down the drain. Perfectly clean, treated, priceless water – used only to flush away a few centilitres of urine. It’s like using a glass of Volvic to soak a paintbrush.
This daily waste often goes ignored. However, with around ten trips to the toilet per day for an average family, this wastes up to 100 liters of water per day , or more than 36,000 liters per year. In comparison, some countries in the world do not always have access to drinking water on a daily rountine.
The “if it’s yellow, wait” trick : a simple but effective habit
In many eco-friendly homes , a simple rule has become applied:
“If it’s yellow, we wait; if it’s brown, we make it go away.”
In other words, you only flush when you really need to – not every time you pee. Urine is naturally sterile and represents no immediate health risk, provided the toilet is cleaned regularly.
