More than 38.8 million gallons of water will be saved in Madison due to the city's toilet rebate program.
The program offers up to $100 in rebates for customers who replace older toilets with high efficiency toilets, Madison Water Utility spokesperson Gail Gawenda said. These new fixtures use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush. Older toilets can flush with as much as 3.5 gallons per flush or even over 5 gallons for older models, Gawenda said.
The new toilets have also been endorsed by the EPA's WaterSense program, Gawenda said.
""The program is continuing in 2011 with funding approved by the state Public Service Commission,"" Gawenda said.
Madison home owners, condo owners and landlords are eligible for one rebate per household, Gawenda said.
The rebate is part of the water utility's Water Conservation and Sustainability Plan to reduce per capita water usage by 20 percent by 2020. The goal is to protect the quality and quantity of the deep-well aquifer that supplies the Madison area, Gawenda said.