I would love to have a dual flush toilet. Has anyone has done this, and do you have any recommendations?

EXPERT ANSWER: Clearing liquids from the bowl takes 1/2 the water needed to flush solids. By using a lower water option when you are flushing liquids, you can save thousands of gallons of water per year. One estimate is that one person can save 3.2 gallons per day and 1168 gallons per year. The money savings can be substantial but most importantly, you are saving water, which is becoming an increasingly precious commodity.

Dual flush toilets work by giving you a choice of how you flush. You can purchase a unit at some of the local hardware and big-box stores.

But you don’t need to get a new toilet to experience these savings. A less expensive option is a dual flush conversion kit.

And an even simpler way to convert your toilet can be found in the video Make Your Toilet Dual Flush (free DIY 20 min job).

The greenest options don’t use any drinking water at all:

• use water from your sink to flush the toilet. It makes a lot of sense, as toilet water does not have to be drinkable and the sink water just goes down the drain. There are a number of systems out there to choose from or you can do your own plumbing.

• use a dry compost toilet, which uses no water at all. You can also get a flushable compost toilet that will recycle the water to your yard. Both of these options can be built yourself, if you are handy, with easily acquired locally available materials.