Water is the lifeblood of our planet. All creatures living on Earth require water in some way, either directly or indirectly.
The weight of the human body is fifty to seventy percent water. A decrease of around ten percent of body water could result in vomiting or diarrhea in adults, and could prove fatal in infants.
The human body can survive for weeks without food, but only days without water.
As a result of global warming, many areas of the world are facing severe water shortages. Yet many first-world countries are practically throwing away their water.
Water consumption in the household is a major environmental issue. A significant thirty percent of domestic water is consumed through toilet flushes. Thirteen thousand gallons of water are used per year by the existing toilet models. Toilets that leak, estimated at forty percent of all toilets, can waste up to 200,000 litres of water in one year. Canada is the second largest consumer of water by nation, using 326 litres per person everyday.
In 1990, a toilet manufacturer, Kohler, originally developed dual flush systems, primarily for the Australian markets. This was due to the government legislation on water resource management. The system was a new version of the toilet that allowed for a variable flush, giving the user the option of using a full or half-flush, depending on their need. The idea was widely successful in Oceania and saves approximately 6,570 litres of water each year.
However, this product, and similar products, do not exist in Canada and are not able to retro-fit to an existing toilet. Thus, the user would have to spend a large sum of money to purchase a new toilet to replace his or her old one.
