Feb. 01, 2010 - Still looking to score at the end of the fourth quarter? Get a touchdown at another “bowl” this Sunday and tackle your water bill.
“You may be regretting some of those office football pool picks you made earlier in the season,” said Melissa Elliott, manager of conservation for Denver Water. “If you‘re looking for another way to put some cash in your pocket look to another bowl – the toilet bowl.”
Denver Water is urging customers to make a winning play by checking their toilet bowls for leaks on Super Bowl Sunday. The utility offers a rebate program that pays homeowners to replace old, water-wasting toilets with high-efficiency models that use as little as 1.28 gallons per flush. High-efficiency toilets are eligible for a $125 rebate and can reduce indoor household water consumption by up to 22 percent.
Toilets are a home’s biggest water-using device, accounting for nearly 25 percent of total indoor usage. Prior to 1994, toilets used 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Since 1994, federal law has required all newly manufactured toilets to use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.
“To determine how many gallons a toilet uses, check the porcelain between the seat and the tank,” said Elliott. “Most toilets using 1.6 gallons per flush are stamped as such. If the toilet isn’t stamped and it was installed before 1994, it likely uses more, and is eligible for a rebate.”
Those not considering replacing their toilets should still check them for leaks. Leaking toilets account for more than half of the complaints Denver Water receives each year about high water bills. What may seem to be a tiny leak can waste 100–250 gallons of water a day, which can make a big difference in a water bill. An easy way to check for toilet leaks is to squirt food coloring into the water tank. Don’t flush for 30 minutes and then check the water in the bowl. If it’s colored, there’s a leak.
Denver Water’s rebate program has strict eligibility requirements. Customers should check details before making purchases. Visit the residential rebate page, or call Denver Water’s Conservation Hotline at 303-628-6343 to request application materials, lists of eligible products or more information.
