Ireland bans old-style loos

Traditional loos are being banned in Ireland from November in a bid to conserve water.

All new buildings and refurbishments will have to be installed with dual flush toilets, a move that is expected to save 500 million litres of water every year.

Toilet flushing accounts for around 10% of the drinking water used in Ireland.

Old style toilets use six to nine litres of water per flush, while dual flush toilets give users the option of a short flush, using just four litres of water, or a full flush, using six litres of water.

A 2006 study that investigated whether banning traditional toilets was necessary and feasible found that only one in five visits to the toilet warrants a full flush.

Announcing the toilet ban, Ireland’s Environment Minister John Gormley said water is a precious resource and should be used wisely.

Despite the ban, Dublin City Council has warned that a major drinking water shortage is likely to develop by 2016 unless the Irish public starts reducing water consumption.