The Southwest Florida Water Management District and the City of Tampa are offering residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low-flow models.
The District and the City of Tampa have co-funded this project, known as the Toilet Rebate Program, since 1994. This year the program will provide approximately 2,200 toilet rebates. Approximately 28,000 toilets have been replaced with low flow models since the program began.
The project goals are to educate residents and business owners about indoor conservation measures and proper maintenance to ensure the greatest water-saving potential and to reduce water demand.
As part of the program, Tampa Water Department customers can apply for a rebate of up to $100 when they replace high-volume toilets with low-flow models. The application must be made and approved prior to purchasing and installing the new low-flow toilet to receive a rebate. Customers can apply by calling (813) 288-8805.
Customers who apply can also receive free faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads.
The total water savings from installing these conservation devices is estimated to be 66,800 gallons per day (gpd) or 24.4 million gallons per year. The toilet replacements alone are expected to reduce indoor water use by approximately 15 percent. Replacing a high-volume toilet that uses 3.5 gallons or more per flush with an ultra low-flow model saves an average of 30.4 gpd.
The Tampa Plumbing Retrofit and Education Project is expected to cost up to $300,000. Tampa will receive up to $100,000 from the District’s Northwest Hillsborough Basin. Under the agreement the city will continue to work with a contractor to manage the program. The contractor is responsible for processing applications, inspecting the installed devices, mailing rebate checks and customer surveys, and reporting on the following: actual water savings, numbers of retrofits, costs per toilet, survey results and rebated addresses within the basin.