Do You Always Have to Flush?

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.
This post was written by: Susan Blue

Water. It is a big issue in many parts of the country. Global warming is bringing erratic weather patterns. Flooding to drought.

So do you have to flush the toilet every time you pea? Maybe you save those flushes at home. Maybe your motto is “Brown, flush it down, yellow, let it mellow.”

We have a couple of bathrooms in the building where I work. The folks upstairs are getting over their strict potty training and not flushing every time. I still have a few clients complain about the non-flushing. I tell them, it must have been me. I don’t flush when I pee unless there is a build up of toilet paper or it is a little too yellow and ripe smelling. I also use 2 sheets to wipe.

It is easy for me. Part of my upbringing was on location for the mines my Dad worked in the deserts of the southwest. Money was tight. 2 sheets was all that was needed. Water was precious. So was good hygiene.

My area of the country is semi-arid. We had a wet spring and summer after a 7 year drought. The green lush grasses of spring stayed well into July and August. Every plant, bush, and tree got busy and produced a show. They also left hug amounts of fire tinder for a very dry fall.

Our wet spring and summer did not fill our reservoirs. We really need a few years before our water levels are up. Local news told us we did not need to restrict water use for lawns and gardens; but it would be better if we did. One of the newer developments bordering areas of agriculture went dry. They had to get their water trucked in. Even with our wet spring and summer.

Local farmers/ranchers who sharing the same aquifer were asked to not use it. Many of them hold original water rights that are now being solicited for sale. These 2 to 3 bathroom homes with a washer and dryer are more important than places that provide food.

I lived in Oregon in the early 90s when the Northwest had a drought. No one in Eugene, Corvallis, or Portland flushed a public toilet until it was full of yellow and paper. It was voluntary. I would like to see more of that.