Is it time to conserve water by not flushing the toilet? Alex Hall and Stephanie Pincetl weigh in

People are being asked to do their part to conserve water: take shorter showers, don’t let the faucet run, fix that leaky sprinkler and so on. Which begs the question: Is it time to stop flushing the toilet all the time?

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” answers Stephanie Pincetl, professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

Alex Hall of UCLA’s Center for Climate Science agrees less flushing is one place to make a difference. But if that’s something you just can’t stomach, there are certainly other ways to cut back. Single-family homes use a surprising amount of water outside the home.

“If you are a single-family home owner and you’re watering your lawn, that’s the single most effective thing you can do is to change your landscaping practices,” Hall says.