Caroma, Morrison help launch city's toilet replacement program

HILLSBORO, OREGON – June 9, 2009 – Caroma, the leader in dual flush toilets and stylish sinks, is partnering with the City of Alamo Heights and Morrison Supply Company in Texas on a toilet replacement program for Alamo Heights water customers. The new program will be launching on June 10th, 2009.

Due to drought conditions, Alamo Heights is experiencing Stage 1 water restrictions. This includes limiting landscape watering to one designated day per week at specific hours, no impervious outdoor ground washing (parking lot, driveway, etc.), restaurants serving water only when customers request, and several additional restrictions. As part of these ongoing efforts to conserve limited water supplies, the City of Alamo Heights has created the toilet voucher replacement program to help conserve water in the house.

Approximately 30% of water in the home is used to flush a toilet. Many older toilets use 3.5 or 5 gallons of water per flush. The voucher rebate program enables homeowners to purchase a water-efficient Caroma toilet at a reduced cost and qualify for a $50 water bill credit with original proof of purchase. Two vouchers and two credits are available per occupied unit.

Eligible High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) are toilets that utilize no more than 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf). All Caroma toilets are high efficiency and feature a two button dual flush system that averages just 0.9-0.96 gallons per flush. This allows the user to choose a full flush (1.28 – 1.6 gallons per flush depending on model) for solid waste or 0.8 gallons per flush for liquid and paper waste. Based on an average flush volume of 0.9-0.96 gpf, the average house will save 40-44% more water than a standard 1.6 gallon toilet (the national mandate) and up to 74% more water than a 3.5 gallon toilet, which are still commonly installed in homes today.
 
“Water conservation has become extremely important as our water resources are becoming scarcer,” states Shawn Eddy, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works for the City of Alamo Heights. “By just replacing 3.5 to 5 gallon per flush toilets with high efficiency toilets, the city estimates a savings of 8,130 gallons of water per year. That is approximately 22 gallons of water per toilet per day.”

To find out more about the toilet replacement rebate program for City of Alamo Heights water customers and to obtain your rebate voucher, visit their website at www.alamoheightstx.gov. Toilets purchased through the Morrison Supply airport location are available for rebate, and the hours of operation are Monday – Friday from 7:30am – 5:00pm.