Water Utility

Madison-Since the Madison Water Utility began offering rebates on high efficiency toilets in January 2009, the residential program has conserved more than 38.8 million gallons of water that would have otherwise gone down the drain.

As part of the utility's water conservation and sustainability plan, the program offers up to $100 rebates for customers who replace older, large volume toilets with new high efficiency fixtures that use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush and that have been endorsed by the EPA's WaterSense program. Toilets are the largest users of water in the home, and older models can flush with as much as 3.5 gallons per flush or even more than 5 gallons for really old ones.

In the first two years of the rebate program, the Water Utility granted rebates for 4, 228 toilets. The program is continuing in 2011 with funding approved by the state Public Service Commission. Individual home owners, condo owners, and landlords are eligible for rebates of one per household simply by installing the toilets, filling out application forms, and submitting their receipts. More details are located on the utility's website at www.madisonwater.org.

The toilet rebate is part of the utility's Water Conservation and Sustainability Plan to reduce per capita water usage 20 percent by the year 2020, with the goal of protecting the quality and quantity of the deep-well aquifer that supplies the Madison area.