A Green Use For Gray Water

My sister has an unusual way of flushing her commode. She lives on the top floor of an apartment building in NYC and it takes a few minutes for the water to get hot when she showers. While the water is heating up she shoves a bucket under the faucet.

When nature calls, instead of flushing the toilet the old fashion way she dumps the water she has collected from the bucket into the toilet boil. Dumping it in all at once jump starts the toilet’s siphon, which swallows the waste.

Doing this saves water by re-using shower water that would otherwise go down the drain and by only flushing the toilet when necessary. She follows the if it’s yellow, let it mellow rule.

I visited her recently and was surprised how quickly I adapted to her flushing system. I like the idea of conserving water, though I was worried we would forget to flush before guests came over. When I got home, however, I returned to my old ways.

In honor of Earth Day, I am adopting my sister’s green habit. I stuck a clear bucket into the bathtub and already feel greener. Hubby is cooperating, too - as long as he still has the option of flushing the toilet the old fashioned way.

What would it take for you to use reclaimed water to flush the toilet?