Water efficient toilets: Smartflush

Despite the fact that Australia is one of the driest continents on earth, we still flush a hug percentage of our drinking water down the toilet each year. In fact, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 50% of all water used in Australia goes down shower drains and toilets. If you are looking for a new toilet in your home and want to make it water efficient, then look no further than the 'Smartflush' toilet system, designed by Caroma/Fowler.

How does Smartflush work?

The Smartflush toilet makes less water work harder. It uses a system called XPV (Express Power Valve) technology, which increases the power of the flush, meaning less water can be used for the same result. Also duel flush, it uses either 4.5 litres of water for a full flush or 3 litres for a half flush. This means that, compared with the average 11/5 litres dual flush system, the Smartflush will save a household an average of 35,000 litres of water a year.

It's this water saving design that not only saw the Smartflush system awarded a four star water rating, but also the HIA Green Smart Award in 2005 and the Green Plumber's Award for Product of the Year in 2004.

Smartflush style guide

But let us not forget that the modern bathroom needs a stylish toilet too! The Caroma/Flowler systems have also won awards for design, including an Australian Design Award and the Product of the Year Award from Home Beautiful.

And it's easy to see why. The range of systems from Caroma come in a variety of styles to fit any taste and budget, including simple, easy to clean, mid-sized toilets, to off-the-floor, modern designs with hidden cisterns. Although Flowler's range isn't as extensive as Caroma's, they also have varying cistern styles, and designs that range from rounded, smooth edges, to square modern units.