The reputation of 1.6-gallon toilets rises as complaints go down the drain. The results of PM's Water Conservation Survey.
Survey.
Today's
1.6-gallon
toilets might
not be
perfect, but
they sure
have come a
long way in
the last few
years,
according to
our recent
survey. The
last time PM
conducted a
survey on
water
conservation,
in 1997,
low-flow
toilets were
the center of
controversy -
and angry
debate. Foisted on contractors and an unwary public by federal mandate, 1.6-gallon toilets were designed to save
water, but created turmoil.
Cited for problems with clogging, the low-flow toilets were hung with a reputation for multiple flushing that defeated
their purpose. The new toilets prompted so many consumer complaints that Michigan Congressman Joe Knollenberg
drafted a resolution to repeal the mandate and bring back the old 3.5-gallon water closets. In 1997, 59 percent of our
respondents thought that installation regulations should be relaxed.