The Future of Water Use

Waterless toilets have been around for quite some time.

In certain parts of our planet clean water is a scarce commodity. As we evolve, so will our plumbing. We are already limiting water usage in our fixtures but there are limitations to how much we can do this. Toilets manufactured in the U.S.A. before 1980 could use 5 gpf (gallons per flush) or more. By contrast toilets manufactured here after 1992 use only 1.6 gpf. What would happen if we lowered the amount of gpf for toilets further? Since our drain piping is designed to transfer sewage, the less water used means changing the efficacy of the system. This means more clogs. 

Will it be the first world countries to lead a good example with innovations or will it happen when and where we have no choice? There have been solutions for several decades but developing them for widespread use has been ignored. The rest of this article will make an attempt to raise some awareness about future possible changes to our plumbing and water use. 

Graywater 

Imagine if the water you used could be re-used before being considered useless. An example would be taking a shower and then that water would go into a graywater tank instead of the sewer. This graywater could now be used for toilet water and then go into the sewer or be re-purposed further. These systems will require space for installing pumps, tanks, solenoid valves, filters and separate graywater drain pipes and more. Just like graywater, rainwater would also require redirecting water from one area (like a roof) to a tank. Graywater can get much more complicated but this is just one simple example to understand the possible re-use of water. 

Dry Toilets 

We have been using water toilets because of fairly modern habits. In ancient times water from rivers was redirected to be used for farming, fountains and toilets. But in nature for many millennia before, most land animals including humans pooped on land. With this perspective, it may be much easier to imagine using a comfortable seat and pooping into something. In rural areas, the handling materials used for dry toilets has been hay, sawdust, recycled paper and dry clay granules. In more populated areas the compostable bag seems to be the best solution. Although some will argue that it’ll be like pooping in a diaper, when the cost of water is expensive enough, that argument won’t stand. 

Smart Devices  

- Garbage disposal machines in kitchen sinks may end up separating food waste for composting 

- Toilets may start detecting “non-flushables” like wipes 

- Sensors may be installed on water pipes for detecting over-usage 

- Sensors may be installed on drain lines for detecting clog build-ups 

Today, the most popular smart plumbing devices are water fixtures that are motion activated or flood sensors that sound alarms or even close valves. Either we will become smarter about our energy and water use or automation will think for us. The ideas put forth are meant for discussion about future possibilities… but tomorrow is a day away.

To understand how far we’ve come, it’s always good to review human history. Roman innovations in Plumbing were an important benchmark. The YouTube channel toldinstone created by Garrett Ryan, Ph. D. has some of the most informative and entertaining videos on the ancient Greeks and Romans. The video Public Latrines in Ancient Rome details what it was like to use an ancient latrine.

For more enjoyable history, the highly recommended book Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans can be found via this link.