If Everyone Flushed at Once

I was recently reading an article called "What if Everybody Flushed their Toilets at the Same Time?" The article discusses sewage systems from our households to treatment centers and what would happen if everyone unanimously flushed their toilets.

Pipes from your home are small in diameter while those leading to neighborhood, town, and city treatment centers get progressively larger. Sewage leaving your home and arrives at the treatment centers after being pushed by a lift station. This is the first place waste would back up. Eventually, all of the waste would be forced back through the pipes and into our homes, resulting in backed up toilets, sinks, and even dishwashers. Not only would it back up in homes, but manholes in the streets would also overflow.

A solution mentioned in the article is low flow toilets. Low flow and dual flush toilets use a reduced amount of water when flushed and also save money on water and energy bills.

Source: How Stuff Works

Low Water Pressure Solutions

If you are having a problem with the pressure of your water it may be due to a number of reasons. I learned a few helpful tips from the book Home Wiring and Plumbing. In the book they target different types of problems and provide the solutions through step by step photos and guides. One chapter discusses a common problem: low water pressure.

Faucets and Showerheads

When it comes to your kitchen or bathroom sink faucet, you may want to begin by checking the small screens attached to the faucet. Minerals and rust often collect in these screens and can be cleaned with white vinegar or simply scrubbed with a toothbrush. Be sure to check your kitchen sink faucet sprayer as well because these also contain small screens.

Appliances

If you are having difficulty with the water pressure in your dishwasher or washer, it may be because the water supply has to pass through shutoff valves before it can reach the appliance. To make sure your water pressure is optimal, be sure that all shutoff valves are fully open. Washing machines in particular are designed so that water is pulled through a filter. Be sure to clean the filters so your washing machine can fill quickly.

I also learned from the book that many old homes built before the 1960's are equipped with iron pipes. This means that your low water pressure problem may be due to mineral build-up within the pipes. A better alternative is copper or plastic.