IF it’s yellow let it mellow but if it’s brown flush it down.
This somewhat cringe-inducing water conservation tip, which has been debated at some length in recent weeks, could well have been what Kerry County Manager, Tom Curran, had in mind when he offered some practical advice on toilet-etiquette this week.
Surprise was expressed in some circles when the soon-to-retire local authority official lifted the lid on his energy-saving plan to pass on some money-saving techniques to those that cared to listen.
Offering his own views on the contentious domestic water charges debate, Mr Curran said people spending a penny in their own homes don’t need to flush after every use.
When a loo is flushed, it takes 10 gallons of water to wash away half a pint of urine but it’s not always necessary to do so, he insisted.
“Every time you flush your toilet, it’s costing you money. There are other ways of doing it. You can put a block or a brick into your cistern,” the county manager advised.
“You don’t need to flush every time you use it,” he added.
“If people want to and are willing to pay for it that’s fine but the point I’m making is that you can save money on water.”
Mr Curran, who will pull the chain on his term as manager in less than three weeks, also reminded the Kerry public that they shouldn’t leave the tap running for five minutes every time they brush their teeth as it is a real waste of water.
He predicted that when the domestic water charges are introduced people will wise up and there will be an automatic 10-15 per cent reduction in usage in a very short space of time.
“People won’t spend five or 10 minutes in the shower any more. You can shower yourself in a couple of minutes if you are efficient and effective at it.
“People may not take baths and people won’t leave taps running when they are filling kettles. People will get better,” he suggested.
The county manager said it took up to 10 years to introduce a domestic water charge system in many countries but the deadline here is just 18 months.
“A lot of things are happening too fast. Mistakes will be made because of it,” Mr Curran warned.
