House Sub-committee Flushes Repeal of Low-Water Toilet Mandate by Lew Sichelman
A Michigan lawmaker's attempt to get Uncle Sam out of our bathrooms has, well, you could say been flushed down the drain, at least for the time being. Republican Joseph Knollenberg had wanted Congress to repeal the federal edict that requires toilets made in the good ole US of A to use a mere1.6 gallons of water per swipe at the handle. But even though he had more than 100 co-sponsors, a House subcommittee by one single, rotten vote flushed away the hope of many of us to enjoy the respite our water closets offer us. So the low-flow mandate, which went into effect in 1992, stands. And of course, the wags are having a field day. It's one thing to have to flush more than one or twice or even three times to remove solid waste, as some people have complained, said one. But "nobody wants to be a four flusher." The switch from the 3.5 gallon toilet was hailed as a conservation measure, said another, but "the real power behind the thrown" is the plunger business. And a third called the law that requires low-flow toilets in all new installations downright un-constitutional. The Michigan congressman didn't want to outlaw low flows. On the contrary, all he wanted to do was "heed the call of suffering Americans" by giving us a choice "tiny toilets" that have to be flushed several times and end up using more water or the larger, more consumer- friendly variety that those of us who haven't moved into a new home in the last eight years have become used to. His bill, he argued to no avail, would allow the market to determine which products consumers can buy instead of the federal government. "If 1.6 gallon toilets work well, consumers will demand them," the Michigan lawmaker said. New home owners often complain the 1.6 gallon toilets do not conserve water, and therefore do not accomplish the original intent of the law. Their toilets have to be flushed multiple times to effectively remove waste because a single flush does not provide sufficient momentum to carry away solid waste. According to several media reports, a black market has now been created for larger toilets by frustrated consumers who are not satisfied with their 1.6 gallon toilets. But perhaps more importantly, Rep. Knollenberg pleaded with his colleagues, absence a national potty posse, Uncle Sam is in no position to enforce the ban. "Let's take politics out of the bathroom," he eloquently waxed. "The federal government should not be in the business of dictating the toilet size Americans can use in their bathrooms. Regulating the size of America's flush is none of Washington's business. A one-size-fits-all federal standard is inappropriate and overreaching. Nowhere in the Constitution does it give the federal government authority over the size of our flush." Alas, the plumbing business prevailed. But not Mother Nature. | 
