Sink Different, SinkPositive

I saw this article on one of my groups and just had to share it with you. Now $99 isn't much to spend to save some water, and it's great to see some folks coming up with truly innovative ideas to save our swindling natural resources. The article might sound like an advert, but I think it's still worth a read, and the product sounds great to me as well, at least in practice.

(The theory and design could use a little work, but they're developing a wall-mount model right now, so my concerns may be invalidated rather shortly.)

~Water Conservation~

Simply SinkPositive to Maximize Water Use

Turn Your Toilet Tank Lid into a Fountain of Benefits
New Sink Makes Hand Washing Easy and Convenient

By Carlton Davis Brown

To most people the thought of a hand washing sink operating off a toilet seems to be a contradiction of common sense. To others, it’s a necessity and required course of action. “The irony of that concept is actually the sink’s strength,” says Carl Brown, the SinkPositive’s creator. “The skeptic’s furrowed brow quickly turns to wide eyed amazement after a single demonstration because it’s obvious that the water is fresh tap water coming directly from the “wall.” An excited shift in perception follows as the environmental and health benefits quickly become apparent.

SinkPositive is a multipurpose accessory sink that simply retrofits to an existing toilet in minutes without special tools or a plumber. Operating automatically after each flush, the sink immediately delivers many environmental and personal health benefits. The patented SinkPositive redirects new clean refill water through a convenient faucet into the hand wash basin before it drains to refill the bowl for the next flush. Brown points out, “It is the water you see trickling in the bowl after the flush during the refill cycle. It comes straight from the tap, not the tank or anywhere else, and ends up in the bowl.”

Maximized use of our fresh water supply is an essential aspect of building a sustainable and durable lifestyle. The average American uses about 80 gallons of fresh water per day for assorted indoor uses. The vast majority of that water - a whopping 75% - is used in the bathroom. Because that’s where we use the most water, it’s also where we can save the most water. SinkPositive is a constant reminder and positive reinforcement of sustainable living habits.

The sink also serves to provide a visual signal of a costly leak in the toilet tank. Leaky toilets are estimated by the American Water Works Association to be responsible for 5% of our nation’s total water use. “Conserved water is our most important source of freshwater,” says Mary Elfner, Executive Director, The Coastal Georgia Land Trust. Sinkpositive provides a functional and beneficial contribution to the ever increasingly important effort for each person to develop and practice efficient water use habits.

Having a small, automatic sink right on your toilet lid makes hand washing both easy and fun.

Washing hands has been shown to be the number one way to improve personal health and reduce disease transmission, according to the United States Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When asked about the sink’s Return on Investment Brown responds, “With regular use; the water saved, the additional waste water reduction, and a single break in the transmission of a cold or other illness through the home, SinkPositive promises to pay for itself in a very short period of time.” Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s vision that we must “think globally and act locally,” Brown adds, “We must move past having to put a price tag on our health and our fresh water to inspire taking action. The answer is simple. These things are priceless, take every opportunity to preserve and conserve as soon as you can.”

Living in Southern California in the mid-80’s brought the importance and impending urgency of water conservation to the forefront of inventor Carl Brown’s mind. “When I saw those devastating photos of Mono Lake and heard that Los Angeles’ contract for water rights to the Colorado River was “expiring”, I knew in that instant, my life’s work would be about conserving water. I did not know how, I just knew it was my calling.”

Years later while visiting Japan, Brown observed a toilet with a finger rinse basin built into the side of the tank which operated after each flush and automatically offered a convenient hygienic hand wash. Seeing the water conservation and hygienic benefits Mr. Brown began to investigate why this idea had not been introduced in the US. “It was obvious Japan, an island nation with limited and highly valued natural resources, was far ahead of us in matters of efficiency.”

It was not until the birth of his daughter did the project became personal as he realized all future generations faced issues of natural resource depletion. Therefore, he dedicated his career to designing and patenting a water conservation idea influenced by the Japanese sink, naming his, SinkPositive. “It’s critical,” says Brown. “As a planet, we just passed 6 billion people and are projected to be 9 billion by 2050. The next generation will experience water much different than any previous generation.”

The automatic handsfree operation eliminates the need to go the bathroom sink and thus, the use of faucet knobs. This not only removes the top documented source of germ and bacteria transmission but comes as a welcome relief to persons with arthritis or other dexterity concerns.

The new sink is a two piece adjustable tank replacement lid made to fit rectangular tanks between 17 – 22” wide and 8” front to back. Made in the USA, it comes with built in soap dish, optional aerator tip faucet, installation instructions, a 30 day money back guarantee, and sells for $99.00. Available on-line at: www.sinkpositive.com or call Environmental Designworks, (615)217-8066

Benefits:
Makes hand washing easy and more frequent
Maximizes water use; reduced demand and waste
Eliminates use of sink faucets
Reduces hand transmitted diseases
Helpful to persons with arthritis or other disabilities
Visual signal of costly toilet tank leak
Easy install with immediate benefits
Regular hand washing equals 100% return on Investment (ROI)
Automatic reminder for those who may otherwise forget to wash their hands, especially children