HDB's eco toilet option runs counter to water-saving efforts

Public housing estates that are about 30 years old are eligible for the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Home Improvement Programme.

Five blocks of flats in my 34-year-old estate in Toa Payoh are due for the upgrade, which comes with a toilet package comprising new pedestal pans, a wash basin with a tap, and other features.

The project will start in the third quarter of 2019 and finish in the last three months of the year.

Residents may choose between two variants of pedestal pans: The conventional flush system, or an “eco flush” toilet with a basin on top. The eco toilet allows water used for handwashing to be directed to the cistern — a tank that stores water for flushing.

In other words, rather than piping water to the cistern as in a conventional toilet, water flows through the basin of the eco-toilet into the cistern. Once a user flushes the toilet, water from the tap automatically fills the cistern for the next flush.

But this also means residents wishing to use the eco toilet just to wash their hands will first have to flush the toilet, even though there may not be a need for this. This is an inefficient use of water, a precious resource. 

While this may not be a problem if users have a separate basin for handwashing, many residents indicated during a visit to the showroom that they would do away with the standalone basin if they opted for the eco toilet.  

It is too much work to clean two basins and a toilet bowl, they said. Washing two basins also consumes more water. Many were elders who said they were too feeble to do such chores regularly. 

Using soap will also leave chemical residue in the cistern and clog the flush system in no time, necessitating maintenance.

In 1991, the Government introduced a water-conservation tax to encourage water conservation and deter excessive use. The eco toilet runs counter to this campaign, and I have decided against having it in my flat.

The HDB should be mindful of water efficiency when offering such options to residents.

Perhaps the national housing authority could shed light on the number of home owners who took up the eco toilet in past Home Improvement Programmes and the feedback from residents.