Why did Britain evolve such a complex mechanism when this pattern seems so simple? Water economy: these valves can leak and can be kept permanently open, allowing precious gallons to be wasted.
I've never been to Britain, but my impression is that it's not a particularly dry place. Why would "water economy" be so much more important there than in e.g. Israel or California? Perhaps toilet technology is as path-dependent as any other evolutionary process?
Why did Britain evolve such a complex mechanism when this pattern seems so simple? Water economy: these valves can leak and can be kept permanently open, allowing precious gallons to be wasted.
I've never been to Britain, but my impression is that it's not a particularly dry place. Why would "water economy" be so much more important there than in e.g. Israel or California? Perhaps toilet technology is as path-dependent as any other evolutionary process?