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It Pays To Go With The Low-Flow

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By CARL ORTH The Suncoast News

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 21, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Don't flush your money down your toilet, Pasco County officials are urging residents. Rebates up to $100 have arrived for Pasco Utilities customers who replace old toilets with water-sipping, low-flow models.

Some 300 phone calls were logged within a day or so after the program was announced Aug. 6, Commissioner Jack Mariano said. As of last week, 120 people had made reservations for the rebates, according to Bruce Kennedy, Pasco's utilities chief.

About 15 old toilets already have been replaced, Kennedy said.

"It will help all of us" to conserve water, Mariano said. He was one of the architects behind incentives now under review by the county for "green" building techniques to conserve water and energy.

Low-flow toilets are among some of those green alternatives because they typically use less than 1.6 gallons a flush, compared with three gallons or more for conventional toilets.

"We just got started" with the rebates, Kennedy said, but publicity at home improvement stores sparked interest right away.

Only select west Pasco residents are eligible for the rebates at this time, Kennedy said.

More money should become available by October to expand the program.

A private contractor, Demetri's Solutions, is handling the program on behalf of the county utility department.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is working with the county to provide the toilet rebates for the first time, said Robyn Felix, spokeswoman for the Brooksville-based regulatory agency.

In this first phase, up to 500 high-volume toilets might be replaced, Felix said.

That could save approximately 10,185 gallons of water a day or 3.7 million gallons a year, which will reduce the demand on the regional system.

Toilets can consume as much as 25 percent of the water used in a home, Kennedy had mentioned at a meeting of county commissioners in January.

The low-flow toilet rebate program is part of Pasco County's overall 5-year water conservation plan.

Rebate participants also will receive information on proper maintenance practices, such as flapper replacement.

They also will receive information about other methods of indoor water conservation.

This phase is expected to cost $100,000. Pasco County can receive up to $50,000 in financial assistance from the water management district.

The discarded toilets won't go to waste, county officials said in March.

P.A.W. Materials has agreed to crush the porcelain fixtures.

Instead of winding up in landfills, the bits and pieces will be used as filler in the base of area roads.

For rebate qualification rules and applications, call Demetri's Solutions at (727) 810-0168.

Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.

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