bull city boosters

$100 rebate for durham residents

Hi there Durham residents: I thought you'd find this press release of interest. -Angela   

Residents Now Eligible for $100 Rebate to Replace Water-Wasting Toilets with High-Efficiency Models 

Durham, N.C. – Durham residents interested in saving water – and money – now have another opportunity thanks to the City of Durham’s New Toilet Rebate Program. 

The program, sponsored by the City’s Department of Water Management, offers rebates valued at $100 when qualified water customers replace their existing toilets with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense-labeled, high-efficiency toilet models.  

According to Vicki Westbrook, deputy director of the City’s Department of Water Management, if Durham residents replace just 3,000 toilets, the community can save nearly 21 million gallons of water per year, which makes choosing a WaterSense toilet an option worth considering. 

“Toilet flushing makes up about 30-to-40 percent of all water used in homes. Older, inefficient toilets can use between 3.5 and 7 gallons per flush and are responsible for most of the water wasted in our homes. Recent advancements have allowed toilets to use 20 percent less water than the current federal standard of 1.6 gallons per flush, while still providing equal or superior performance,” Westbrook said.  “The WaterSense label certifies that the toilets meet rigorous testing for both performance and efficiency.

Only high-efficiency toilets that complete a third-party certification process can earn the WaterSense label, which is why we’re requiring this as part of our rebate program.” According to Westbrook, to be eligible for the City’s rebate, any toilet purchased must be a high-efficiency toilet, which uses an average of 1.28 gallons per flush, and must be on the EPA’s WaterSense list.   At this time, only single-family residential customers may apply for the rebate.  Any toilet which meets the criteria and is purchased after January 1, 2008, will be eligible for the rebate, with a limit of one per household. 

Rebates will be applied as credits to customers' water bills. 

To apply for the rebate, residential customers will need to submit all of the following information:· 

• the original dated sales receipt for the toilet        
• a copy of the most recent water bill;
• a completed Rebate Application Form. 

Rebates will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with one toilet rebate allowed per single family residential customer.  Approximately 3,000 rebates will be available during the first phase of the program. 

The rebate form, a link to approved toilets, and more details are available at http://www.DurhamSavesWater.org or by calling the Rebate Center at 866-522-3806.