If your water bill seems to be sky-high right now, you’re not alone. Ever since millions of Americans started working from home due to the pandemic, utility bills have been surging. Since we’re in our spaces 24/7, we’re using more resources than we normally would.
While there are plenty of ways to reduce our water footprint, it can be hard to control how many times we’re flushing our toilets. Because of that, on average, toilets make up 30% of the water consumption in our homes.
The good news? A Texas woman who’s going absolutely viral on TikTok is here to save the day, because she’s sharing a simple hack that’s saving her over $50 a month on her water bill: using a flapper.
The Hack That Reduces Your Water Footprint
In a video that’s garnered more than 600,000 views, the TikToker shares that by simply replacing the flapper in the tank of her toilet (something most people have never heard of!) with an option that’s advertised as water-saving, her family is able to waste less water with each flush.
“Our water bill was consistently $140 a month. We live in Texas, we have a big family, and we homeschool, which means we’re home all the time,” she says. “But I did some research and found if you simply replace the flapper with one of those water-saving ones, it saves money [and] water.”
So, you’re probably wondering: What the heck is a flapper, and how does it work? In the most simple terms (plumbers, sorry in advance), the flapper is what opens and closes in the tank of your toilet to allow water to flow into the bowl and create a flush. A water-saving flapper closes more quickly than a traditional one would, allowing less water to flow out of the tank when flushed.
If you’d like to purchase a water-conserving flapper for yourself, they’re easy to find. You can shop locally by visiting a nearby hardware store, or shop from big-name stores like Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, and Home Depot.
Want to participate in this hack without buying anything? Look in your recycling bin! Commenters on the video have shared similar hacks that have helped them conserve water in their toilets using items they have in their homes. And you can start by upcycling a plastic bottle.
The commenters suggest filling an empty plastic bottle with water and placing it in your toilet’s water tank. GOOD also recommends placing some rocks inside it to weigh it down. Whatever’s in the tank fills up space where water could be, so less water is available to release with each flush. Putting a half-gallon water bottle in your toilet tank can save up to 800 gallons of water per year!
The Takeaway
The price we pay each month on our water bill is nothing compared to the price we pay when we’re unintentional about how we’re consuming the water in the first place.
Water is considered a renewable resource. However, that doesn’t mean it will return with the same quality and quantity, which is why it’s important to have your water footprint in mind as you go about your daily routine.
Since we use about 1.28 gallons of water every time we flush, this hack is a total win-win. Saving money while conversing water and being intentional about our water footprint, major conscious-citizen vibes.
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