The world ditched wasteful toilets, the US stayed behind
Key takeaways
- US toilets use far more water than many of their global counterparts.
- In Europe, on the other hand, the process looks much different.
- All this potty talk isn't just impolite dinner table conversation.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
US toilets use far more water than many of their global counterparts. President Donald Trump is pushing to loosen water pressure standards, a move critics say would increase waste.
https://p.dw.com/p/5BZNo Since the 1992 water efficiency law, new American toilets must use less water per flush Image: Frank Hoermann/Sven Simon/picture alliance Advertisement If you're flushing a toilet in the US, you're probably accustomed to that characteristic whoosh as a jet of water fills the bowl and then siphons down the contents with a dramatic gulp.
In Europe, on the other hand, the process looks much different. There's almost always an option for a lighter or stronger flush, depending on what you need. And the water doesn't suction, but instead simply shoves the waste down. For a true contrast, in Germany and the Netherlands, sometimes the waste lands on a ceramic shelf that sits directly above a pool of water.