Do you practice responsible bathroom?

I threw some golf balls into a toilet bowl and flushed. Then I watched as they all came out, intact, into a bucket, after one swirling, effective push of the handle.

This was just one of the highlights of the Responsible Bathroom Water Conservation Tour, a national mobile marketing campaign on wheels that arrived at C&L Plumbing Supply at 196 Merrick Rd. in Lynbrook on July 14 to help raise awareness about water conservation.

Water shortages are forecast to hit 36 states in the U.S., including New York, by 2013. Many communities already are experiencing a tighter water supply. The Responsible Bathroom Water Conservation Tour, sponsored by American Standard®, shows how an average four-person household can save 48,326 gallons of water a year using water-saving bathroom fixtures.

  The tour has the goal of saving 2 billion gallons of water this year by replacing old or leaking bathroom fixtures with water-efficient plumbing products. The tour will visit over 300 plumbing wholesale locations from April to November in a 44-foot-long, walk-through mobile showroom. The public is welcome free of charge to walk through the mobile showroom.

  Visitors to tour van learned how much water and money consumers can save by retrofitting faucets, showerheads and toilets with low-flow options. Tour ambassadors aboard the mobile showroom explained the latest products, including a showerhead that uses up to 40 percent less water during a shower.

“By developing water-efficient, low-consumption toilets, faucets and showerheads that actually work, we are providing consumers with real choice in creating responsible bathrooms without sacrifice in style or performance,” said Don Devine, American Standard president and chief executive officer.

  In February, American Standard Brands announced a $1 million, two-year partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest conservation organization, in support of its mission in the area of global freshwater conservation.

Some water conservation tips that they provide advise the public to:

n Replace an old faucet with a water-efficient model to save 8,000 gallons of water per year.

n Turn off the water while brushing teeth to conserve 24,000 gallons of water per year.

n Upgraded to a water saving showerhead to save 22,000 gallons of water per year.

n Since bathrooms account for 75 percent of indoor water use, it is crucial to install water-saving plumbing fixtures in homes, schools and businesses. The Responsible Bathroom Tour aims to add 2 billion to the gallons saved in 2010.

Comments about this story? Mmalloy@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.