Just realized how much water my old toilet was wasting after seeing my bill

I got my water bill from the city last week and it was almost $50 higher than normal. I thought maybe I had a leak somewhere, so I started checking everything. I found this online calculator from the water authority (you know, the one on their website) and put in my toilet's age. Turns out my toilet from the 90s uses about 3.5 gallons per flush. The newer ones use less than 1.3. I did the math, and with my family of four, we're flushing over 100 gallons a day just down the toilet. I had no idea it was that much. I always thought it was the showers or the lawn. Now I'm looking at replacement costs and it's a whole thing. Has anyone in the area swapped out an old toilet recently and have a good plumber they'd recommend?

3 comments

3 Comments

aliceshah16d ago

Ngl, that math is pretty shocking when you actually see it. My parents had the same issue and their water bill dropped a lot after they finally swapped theirs out. The upfront cost for a good low-flow toilet and a plumber stings, but you'll probably make it back in a year or two with the savings. I used a guy named Mike from Three Rivers Plumbing last year and he did a clean job for a fair price.

jessicac2815d ago

Honestly, the thing that got me was the wastewater charge on my bill. The city charges you for the water going down the drain too, so you're paying twice for every old flush. That hidden cost made the upgrade a no-brainer for me. I went with a basic one-gallon model from the hardware store and my brother helped me install it. The hardest part was getting the old wax ring seal off the floor.

ellis.hayden6d ago

Ugh, that bill jump is the worst, right? I felt the same shock when I finally checked my old toilets.