Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Combination sink/cistern
  (+23, -1)(+23, -1)(+23, -1)
(+23, -1) 		  [vote for,
against]

To reduce water use, I propose that the toilet cistern be built into the bathroom sink unit. Thus water that is used to wash hands can be re-used to flush. To make this work, the sink may have to be higher than normal; this might require that the floor around the sink be raised by a corresponding amount (six inches or so).

Not having the cistern behind the toilet would save space.

Obviously the system must work even if insufficient "grey" water is put into the cistern from the sink. This could be achieved with a normal float valve allowing clean water into the cistern if the level got too low. Above a preset water level this would close the clean water input, but the cistern could be filled above this with grey water.

To flush, a lever would be pulled as normal, but instead of starting a siphon that would empty the cistern, it would open a valve for a pre-set amount of time (perhaps using a viscous damper to control the valve closing). This would allow a roughly constant volume of water to flow regardless of how full the cistern was.

This could be a useful way to install a grey water system in an otherwise standard home.

—david_scothern, Apr 04 2005

Hack 'n Paste Drawing http://www.geocitie..._matthew/terlet.htm
The plumbing would obviously be quite simple. (edited, [po]) ([bm gum, in this example, when the water fills the cistern, it overflows into the sink drain.) [contracts, Apr 04 2005]

My photorealistic conception of the idea http://blogs.bootsn...chives/002600.shtml
[half, Apr 04 2005]

(???) Prison style toilet (I've only seen them in movies and on TV) http://www.evacgrou...d/prison_toilet.jpg
Looks more functional than the combo unit in my preceeding link. [half, Apr 04 2005]

Combo urinal sink Urinal_20sink
I like the urinal sink a little better. [bungston, Jun 16 2008]

sink-tank toilet Popular Mechanics award http://www.caromausa.com/Press
This is the first one I've heard about states-side but I saw a much much nicer one in a Tokyo mag a couple years ago. Sink was turned 90 deg from this so was more convenient. [gnarlyis3, Nov 15 2008]

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       the soapy water would most probably help to keep the loo clean.
—po, Apr 04 2005
   

       Nice one. +
—Trickytracks, Apr 04 2005
   

       I think this is a great idea. [+] Wash your hands, then the runoff soap cleans your toilet.
—contracts, Apr 04 2005
   

       your loo seat at ground level, contracts? either that or you would need to stand on the cistern to wash your hands.   

       why not have the sink = cistern?
—po, Apr 04 2005
   

       Nice! It also needs an overflow pipe in the cistern. If too much sink water is used in one go, you don't want the tank to overflow. +
—bm-gub, Apr 04 2005
   

       [half], I saw that when it was up earlier. I wouldn't want to straddle when scrubbing, but you're right, it is essentially this.
—contracts, Apr 04 2005
   

       Bun. I was thinking about the overflow pipe too, and you could just put in an epiglottis-style valve to stop off the cistern in case you wanted the contents of the sink to go straight down the drain (e.g., to avoid the toothpaste problem).   

       <edit>I agree [contracts]'s drawing looks much more appealing than either of [half]'s links. Also looks bloody easy to assemble.</e>
—Etymon, Apr 04 2005
   

       I was in Japan a few years back, and they have something similar to this. There was a miniature sink built right into the top of the toilet tank, and when you flushed, the water comes out of the tap, which then (after you wash your hands) goes down the drain into the tank. However, it was usually just for washing hands, not for brushing teeth, etc. since the space was awkward to maneuovre in.
—Blue Stained Feet, Apr 05 2005
   

       How do you keep the stored greywater from smelling, growing algae, and growing bacteria?
—robinism, Apr 05 2005
   

       //How do you keep the stored greywater from smelling, growing algae, and growing bacteria?// By flushing it down the toilet?
UV steriliser?
Add bleach to the soap?
—AbsintheWithoutLeave, Apr 05 2005
   

       If you're worried about effluent you can always shit in a convenient spot in your backyard, or not.
—UnaBubba, Apr 05 2005
   

       the tank should be at least twice as large as usual. sice it would always need to have enough water for a flush (enough to fill a normal tank) but still need to accept water whenever someone uses the sink.   

       When he ran a camp in New York my dad proposed a similar idea in which the shower water was used to flush toilets. the health department vetoed it. I don't know exactly why.   

       [BrauBeaton] i think the idea is to use less of the drinking water not to create less polution.
—RBStimers, Apr 05 2005
   

       BrauBeaton, surely what you are saving on is the treatment of water before it reaches your house? The output will, on balance, need less treatment than the output from a normal toilet and sink.
—david_scothern, Apr 05 2005
   

       OK, I agree with you there. My previous annotation was not clear; although the effluent will need the same level of treatment, less water has had to be purified in the first place. Thus overall, less cleaning is done to the water. All the savings are made upstream of the user.
—david_scothern, Apr 06 2005
   

       Height is crucial to this one and I think will cause a problem. There's no reason why my upstairs sink can't feed my downstairs toilet though.
—wagster, Apr 06 2005
   

       To those concerned with the 'treatment' of grey water and such. It simply doesn't happen. Organic nasties may get treated in digesters etc to break down the most unpleasant of effluents, but the shampoo, soap and other inorganic detergents etc are simply diluted when they hit the river.
—zen_tom, Apr 06 2005
   

       Sorry, that's not how it happens.   

       In older Primary Treatment System, raw sewage is pumped through fine screens, removing objects such as sanitary products, cotton buds, pubic hair and other debris. These objects should not be flushed into the sewerage system.   

       Sewage is aerated and grit is removed. The liquid waste passes to primary sedimentation tanks, and settled sludge and floating debris is pumped to larger tanks, known as digesters, where it is broken down.   

       The primary-treated water then passes through the secondary treatment process, breaking down organic material in the plant's aeration tanks. The water passes to circular sedimentation tanks, which settle out more sludge and produce a final clarified effluent.   

       The treated effluent flows to large holding basins before it is chlorinated for disinfection. This is then filtered through two sets of three-millimetre metal microscreens.   

       The water that comes out of sewage treatment plants here is potable, but doesn't taste very good. It is this water that is usually pumped to a river or ocean outfall.   

       Newer systems use two methods of treatment - lagoon and land filtration. Grass filtration, in Australia at least is being phased out.   

       After primary filtering, the sewage in a Lagoon Treatment System travels slowly through a series of connected ponds containing high concentrations of naturally-occurring bacteria, allowing them to consume biodegradable matter.   

       The first stage of lagoon treatment is anaerobic (without oxygen), where bacteria digest organic material. An anaerobic reactor speeds bacterial digestion, and membrane lagoon covers are used to capture biogas, which can be sold, or used to generate energy. Capturing it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and odour. Biogas, including methane, is produced during the treatment process and can be used as fuel to generate electricity to run the plant.   

       Land filtration, which removes biodegradable matter and nutrients from sewage as it filters through the soil, is used during periods of high evaporation and low rainfall.   

       Land filtration in Australia will be discontinued by 2005/06 and replaced by lagoon treatment. This, along with the cessation of grass filtration, will lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as we cease applying raw sewage to land.
—UnaBubba, Apr 06 2005
   

       UnaBubba, isn't land-filtration (i.e. pouring it on the ground) just a nice way of saying it's untreated?
—zen_tom, Apr 06 2005
   

       UB, you really know shit.
—salachair, Apr 06 2005
   

       From "Introduction to Permaculture", Bill Mollison, 1991: "Handbasin water can also be used to fill the cisterns of flush toilets, thus performing double duty."   

       [contracts] You don't need the overflow from the hand basin, as toilet cisterns have an overflow already (into the toilet bowl).
—spidermother, Jul 22 2006
   


 

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