The single best thing you can do to improve toilet efficiency is
to replace an old inefficient toilet with a new toilet. Toilets
made before 1993 use anywhere from 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf)
up to 8 gpf, while new high efficiency toilets are mandated to
use 1.6 gpf or less (Mayer, et. al. 1999). Check to see if your
water utility offers any rebates for replacing old inefficient
toilets. Photo source: Aquacraft, Inc. by permission. If you are
unsure of the vintage of your toilet you can often check the
date of manufacture by looking at the underside of the tank lid.
The date of manufacture is often stamped into the porcelain. If
you toilet was made after 1993 it should be an efficient model.
Toilets made during the 1980s typically were designed to use 3.5
gallons per flush. Older toilets often use much more water. If
replacing your toilet isn’t an option, at least make sure that
your toilet isn’t leaking and replace the flapper if necessary.
During a drought emergency you could be asked to reduce your
water u