Wednesday, July 15, 1998
What ever happened to the use of 3.0-gallon toilets? New toilet tanks use
just 1.6 gallonsIn 1994, a federal regulation required manufacturers to produce "ultra-low flush toilets." The previous year, the Honolulu City Council passed a water conservation ordinance requiring newly constructed or renovated homes to use 1.6-gallon toilets.
According to Howard Tanaka, Hawaii Board of Water Supply's head of water conservation, the Council passed the ordinance after other states had success with the toilets.
"Before the 1.6-gallon toilet, Hawaii required the use of a 3.5 since 1980," Tanaka said. "And prior to that, there were no limits. At that time, two dozen of the jurisdictions on the mainland had regulations using the 1.6."
After the ordinance was passed, Tanaka said, Hawaii homeowners who had toilets that held more than 1.6 gallons of water were allowed to keep them. However, if the toilet was to be replaced, homeowners would have to buy the 1.6.
"(The use of the new toilets) is mainly to conserve water," Tanaka said. "(The new toilets) have been used in Japan and Europe. The toilets are redesigned to get an efficient flush."
He added, "We have limited amounts of ground water resources and by using this, we can save water."
--Stan Constantino, Star-Bulletin
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