If you plan to hike or climb at Mount Rainer this summer, be sure to make a pit stop at the national park’s newest attraction: a bio-toilet.
The bio-toilet, designed by Japanese non-profit Groundwork Mishima, was dedicated at Cougar Rock Campground on Monday. The toilet is valued at $70,000.
Its primary energy components are cedar chips and water, said Mika Moore, a spokeswoman for the project.
“It’s self-maintaining, and needs very little energy,” she said.
People involved with the project said the toilet re-circulates 250 gallons of water, and uses about 1500 watts to operate – an energy level similar to that of a microwave, they said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, each flush of a regular toilet uses three gallons of water. That means the bio-toilet makes up for its water use after about 83 flushes.
That got me thinking – how long would it take for a bio-toilet to make up for its water use in my home? How much water do I use in my home each day?
The U.S. Geological Survey offers a water use calculator on its Web site. I entered:
– one bath (my home was built in the 1920s, and was never updated to include a standard shower)
– three teeth brushings
– four hand and face washings
– one leg shaving, zero dishwasher loads (we don’t use ours – it doesn’t get the dishes clean)
– one dishwashing by hand
– one clothes washing (which doesn’t occur every day)
– three toilet flushes
– four 8-oz. water refills.
I use 82.24 gallons of water each day. That doesn’t include water used for cooking or for outdoor purposes, such as watering my just-planted pineapple mint, thyme and groundcovering. On days I don’t use my washing machine (which is most days), I use 72 gallons.
If I used my dishwasher once instead of washed dishes by hand, my water usage would jump to 97 gallons per day.
But if I took one 10-minute shower each day instead of a bath (and wash dishes by hand) my water usage would drop to 52 gallons per day.
Perhaps its time to convince my landlord to retrofit my bathroom to make room for a shower.
Take the quiz yourself here, at the USGS Web site.
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