Masonry Magazine January 1973 Page. 46
Bricks Help to Save on
Water Supplies, But
Who Gets Credit for
Originating the Idea?
There are countless ways that brick can be used to enhance residential construction. But would you believe using brick to preserve water?
That's what is happening in Cherry Hill, N.C., and apparently with good results. Residents of the area are being urged to put a brick in their toilet tanks to cut down on water usage, the idea being that each brick displaces about a quart of water. The local government, in fact, had a brick delivered to each home in the area to promote the scheme.
The city fathers figure that if a brick is placed in each flush box in every home, it will save residents about $20,000 annually in water bills and lighten the load on the municipal sewer system by about 34 million gallons.
Credited with originating the novel plan is Mrs. Tillie Spetgang, an ecology-minded mother who talked the Cherry Hill commissioners into buying 34,000 brick for public distribution. Her idea is said to be catching on internationally.
"I'm getting calls from all over the United States and Canada," she was quoted as saying.
But now, a bit of controversy is developing as to who actually originated the brick-in-the-toilet idea. After the Cherry Hill story received its widespread circulation, the city of Greensboro, N.C. is challenging its authenticity.
Thanks to Corb Garton, executive director of the Brick Association of North Carolina, Masonry recently received a clipping from the December 8, 1972 issue of the Greensboro Daily News with the headline: "Cherry Hill, N.J., Take Note: Our Toilet Bricks Came First."
The story relates that the toilet brick idea originated some 18 years ago in Greensboro during the infamous drought of 1954. City officials then begged water users to put bricks in their toilet tanks to save the area's dwindling water supply.
"You can't really appreciate how close it was in 1954," the newspaper quotes City Public Works Director Tom Z. Osborne as saying. "We were within days of running out of water. We tried everything we could to conserve water, and that's where the bricks came in. You could get the same result by adjusting the float in the tank so less water was needed. But it was easier just to put bricks in the tank."
This is how things presently stand. Maybe someone else will claim they thought of the idea even sooner. Whoever wins the argument, however, bricks in the toilet flush box may be just what the conservationists are after.
Unveil New Safety Can
A safety can is called a safety can for one reason: because it's safe or is it? And before it can be called a safety can it must go through a series of strenuous tests. Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago has introduced what it claims to be the safest safety can of all as well as the only one of its kind to be approved by Factory Mutual System. The most dramatic test conducted by Factory Mutual on the Justrite can was for flammability and heat exposure. The non-metallic can was filled to its rated capacity with gasoline and placed in its normally closed position in a square steel pan containing water. Floating on the water was one inch of heptane. The heptane was ignited and allowed to burn until consumed. Although the exterior material ultimately melted, the gasoline was contained within the can's side walls throughout the test, and no rupture or spillage from the can occurred to intensify the fire.
Medusa Promotes Kizer
Medusa Corporation, Cleveland, has announced the promotion of Robert F. Kizer to president of Medusa Cement Company, a division of the corporation.
Mr. Kizer has been employed by Medusa since 1965 in several executive capacities.