Many people think of the shower when it comes to saving water in private households. But water consumption can also be noticeably reduced when using the toilet.

Water is essential for life. But this precious resource is becoming increasingly scarce. According to the 2021 UN World Water Development Report, around 2.3 billion people – 35 per cent of the world’s population – live in water-scarce countries. Many people are aware of this and want to save water in their homes. They turn off the tap in the shower or when brushing their teeth. That’s a good start.

NINE LITRES AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON

What many people don’t know is that around one-third of the amount of water consumed every day in a household is attributable to toilet flushing. After all, an average of six to nine litres of water flow into the sewage system with each individual flush.

According to a model calculation, water consumption for the flush has fallen by 80 per cent per person per day since the 1950s.

It is, therefore, worth tackling this issue. For decades, Switzerland-headquartered Geberit has been developing flushing systems that are particularly efficient while, at the same time, conserving resources.

ONE PRESS IS ENOUGH

Optimal flushing of the toilet is at the heart of these Geberit systems. After all, what good is it if the flush uses only a small amount of water but does not transport everything that needs to be got rid of into the sewage system? We press the button a second time to ensure proper flushing and thus consume even more water.

Geberit, therefore, focuses on the development of products that flush the toilet thoroughly with one press of the actuator and as little water as possible. To achieve this, the entire flow of water from the cistern through the WC ceramic appliance to the drain has to be optimised.

IT’S THE COMBINATION THAT DOES IT

This is precisely Geberit’s core competence. For a thorough and efficient flushing out, it is crucial that the flush technology and the WC ceramic appliance are perfectly coordinated with one another. Another important factor is the inner geometry of the ceramic appliance, as it accounts for most of the water-saving potential of the WC.

This can be seen particularly clearly on the Geberit Acanto WC with the innovative TurboFlush flush technology. The asymmetrical geometry with two guiding edges directs the flow of water spirally through the ceramic appliance in a powerful vortex.

In combination with the water-saving flush valve 212 in the concealed cistern and the dual flush actuator plate, the required flush volume is reduced to 2.6 litres for the partial flush and four litres for the full flush. The flush performance is up to 10 times higher than the requirements of international standards.

EIGHTY PER CENT LESS WATER

A great deal of water can be saved over a period of years with the WC system. A model calculation shows that the flush water volumes have fallen by 80 per cent since 1952*, thanks to Geberit innovations such as the dual flush and the flush-stop pushbutton. Back then, one person used about 70 litres of water a day. Today, it is possible to flush the toilet thoroughly with just 14 litres a day.

* Assumptions: One person uses the toilet five times a day and actuates the large flush once (= full flush) and the small flush four times (= partial flush). In 1952, water consumption was 14 litres per flush (= 70 litres per person per day). Today, a thorough flush is possible with 4 litres for the full flush and 2.6 litres for the partial flush (= 14 litres per person per day).