April 19 is National Pee Outside Day, who knew such a day even existed? As creepy and gross as it may seem to the ladies, this initiative is quickly “flowing” across the nation. And I, for one, am 100% on board.

The whole idea behind National Pee Outside day is to bring attention to the fact that the average toilet uses 3 gallons of potable water per flush (new toilets use less, older toilets more). When you take conventional “lawn watering” out of the equation, toilet flushing is the #1 use of water in the average US household and accounts for more than 25% of the water we use in our homes. So why are we wasting so much fresh, drinkable water just to get rid of something men can easily take care of outside? Well that’s a good question, especially when you consider there are many countries with no access to fresh drinking water.

Now the folks at peeoutside.org (the organizers of National Pee Outside Day) are not advocating you expose yourself in public or scare your neighbors, but if the urge hits and it’s appropriate, each time you pee outside you will save 3 gallons of fresh water from going down the drain.

And it’s also good for the environment. As long as you are healthy, pee is sterile and is often used as a fertilizer because it is high in nitrogen. Urine is used as a fertilizer for cabbage in Finland, and is said to do wonders for cucumbers. When the urge hits, it’s best to pee on a compost pile. If there is no compost pile around, make sure you “spread the shower” and don’t aim directly for desirable plants—the high nitrogen content can burn sensitive leaves and roots.

If peeing outside is not for you, or you are not equipped with the parts that make this task convenient, what should you do to join in on the fun? The organizers suggest these other water saving options:

1.     Pee in a cup/bottle and dispose of it outside. -Ok, that’s just gross. Strike that one.

2.     Pee down a drain of your choice.

3.     Pee in the shower, but only if you are also taking a shower at the same time.

4.     Use the old "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down" method.

5.     Or, just don't flush after every pee.

Ok, so admittedly this festive day is more for boys than girls, but when you think about it (and stop giggling) there really is something to this. Maybe it’s just because I’m a boy who already enjoys the occasional pee alfresco, but I’m marking my calendar for April 19, and when the grand moment arrives, I’ll smile knowing I am doing my part to save the earth!