Water – our new most valuable resource 01/04 by Southeast Green | Blog Talk Radio.

By Graham Russell | 0 comments

Toilet rebates are offered for the replacement of pre-1994 toilets for residential and commercial properties.  Effective January 1, 2012 toilet rebates will be $75 per WaterSense toilet and residential clothes washer rebates will be $100 per qualifying washer.

The Toilet Rebate Program is open for qualifying purchases made beginning October 1, 2011 through July 1, 2012 while funding lasts. This program is only available to City of St. Cloud residential water customers who use City of St. Cloud businesses for the purchase and installation of a qualifying high efficiency toilet. One rebate per household.

To apply, download the application packet, then call 407-957-7264 to receive your confirmation code and to ensure funding is available.

To receive your rebate, return your completed application along with the receipt for the toilet and installation within 30 days. Your rebate will be applied to your next utility bill.

For Frequently Asked Questions: Learn More
For Application Packet: Learn More
To view a list of approved WaterSense High Efficiency toilets Log on the EPA’s website

MARION COUNTY, Fla. (Oct. 24, 2011) – Marion County Utilities is offering a new incentive to help its customers increase their water efficiency practices and potentially lower their monthly water bills. Starting this month, utility customers who replace old toilets with new, water-efficient models could be eligible for toilet rebates. Qualifying customers who replace one toilet could receive up to $100 in rebates; those who replace a second toilet will be eligible for up to another $80 in reimbursements. The rebates will be issued as water bill credits. To qualify, an individual must: – Be a Marion County Utilities water customer in good standing. – Live in a home built prior to 1995. – Plan to replace a toilet of 3.5 or more gallons. – Call to verify eligibility and reserve the rebate at 1-800-964-2140. Customers are encouraged to reserve their rebate as soon as possible since only 1,400 rebates are available this year. Toilets installed prior to 1995 typically use 3.5 or more gallons of water with each flush. New models use only between 1.2 – 1.6 gallons per flush. Replacing just one high-flow toilet with an ultra low-flow toilet could save more than 1,000 gallons of water per month. Marion County Utilities funds the Toilet Rebate Program in cooperation with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Withlacoochee River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. #

$75 Low-flow Toilet Rebate

City of St. George Energy Services Department

Program: Energy Utility

“Just Don’t Flush It” by Brian McAndrew, North Bend, Oregon – check it out!

Water is a precious resource, and although it flows freely from the tap, it’s not infinite. Green campus lawns, clean cafeteria plates, and even air conditioned dorms don’t happen without using lots of water. As major institutions, colleges are serious users of water, and although some don’t yet recognize the need to conserve water, many of them do. In fact, college campuses are home to some of the most innovative ideas for water conservation, implementing water management technology, smart conservation policies, and more. Read on to find out about 40 great ways colleges are putting great minds to work on water conservation.

1. Cal State-LA technology

   Using a wireless water management service, Cal State-LA was able to lower their water bills and reduce water usage by about 27 million gallons in 18 months. The system also saves valuable staff time and adjusts to weather changes, turning off water before it rains.

2. A new low flow standard

   The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education reports that low flow showerheads and faucets, as well as low water volume toilets and urinals are standard practice for US colleges.

3. Dual flush toilets

   In addition to low flow toilets, colleges like Harvard are also using dual flush toilets, which allow toilets to use less water unless deemed necessary by their users.

4. Recycling rooftop rainwater

   Drexel University turns rainwater into a resource rather than waste. Instead of sending it down the pipes to treatment plants, Drexel collects rainwater for non-potable uses, including toilet flushing, landscaping, and gardening.

5. Cutting back on car washing

   Colleges make use of many vehicles on and off campus, and those vehicles need to be washed, but not frequently. Schools like the University of Washington have cut back on car washing in their motor pools to save water.

6. Using campus resources

   Large campuses may have access to creeks and wells on their land. At Stanford University, almost 75% of water used for irrigation comes from water sourced on Stanford’s own land.

7. Going trayless

   Many colleges are ditching trays in their cafeterias, cutting food waste, conserving water, and even keeping the “freshman 15″ off new students. At Williams College alone, the college is saving 14,000 gallons of water each year by eliminating trays at one of four campus dining halls.

8. Landscaping with drought-tolerant plants

   At Saint Mary’s College, drought-tolerant plants have been put in place, including oleander, lavender, and nadina, with drought-tolerant plants making up about 95% of campus plants.

9. Installing water misers

   Schools like Stanford have made use of water misers on autoclaves in the Medical School and research buildings. Instead of having water running 24 hours a day on the devices, misers sense when the water is needed and when it is not. This measure alone has helped to reduce water usage in these buildings by over 50%.

10. Educating students

    At UC-Santa Cruz, students arriving on campus will learn about water conservation in their orientation meetings, and the campus offers dorm room usage audits as well.

11. Removing bottled water

    Instead of allowing bottled water as an option at campus events and at dining facilities, colleges like Harvey Mudd College are selling or providing refillable water bottles to faculty, staff, and students.

12. Recirculating systems

    Coolers and other equipment using once-through water cooling systems are being replaced with ones that reuse cooled water, saving not only water, but electricity and gas as well.

13. Water Wise House Call

    At Stanford University, they have recognized that university water usage doesn’t end off campus. Faculty and staff have their impact in private homes as well. With the Water Wise House Call program, the university has been able to manage water usage off campus by providing information and resources to faculty and staff.

14. The Living Machine

    At Oberlin College, students get involved in wastewater cleaning with The Living Machine. The machine processes wastewater into reusable greywater by relying on natural cleaning methods in wetlands, including plants and bacteria.

15. Green campus grounds with reclaimed water

    At the University of California Santa Barbara, 90% of campus grounds are kept green using reclaimed water. This water is also used to flush toilets in some buildings. Reclaimed water is wastewater that has undergone a treatment process, but does not meet standards for drinking.

16. Recycling carpet

    Carpet doesn’t sound like a big water waster, but at Oberlin College, they’ve calculated their savings from recycling carpet. By recycling 177,057 square feet of used carpet, they’ve saved 112,136.1 gallons of water, in addition to 1,227,418,143 BTUs of energy.

17. Natural thawing

    Some schools previously thawed food using running water. Instead, colleges like Evergreen State have implemented better planning, and are able to thaw all food products naturally without the use of running water.

18. Leak detection technology

    Some schools employ water conservation technology that includes leak detection, allowing them to identify and correct leaks that exist on campus.

19. Updated laundry rooms

    Colleges are upgrading to high efficiency front loading washers, and becoming even more energy efficient by using technology that allows them to monitor the status of the machines. At Canisius College, 755,638 gallons of water have been saved since 2006.

20. I Heart Tap Water

    UC-Berkeley’s I Heart Tap Water campaign promoted tap water as the beverage of choice for the campus. The university credits the campaign’s success to the testing of more than 450 water fountains on campus to ensure water quality. The program has reduced campus usage of plastic water bottles on campus by at least 25%.

21. Using cisterns

    Colleges are using cisterns to harvest rainwater. At Harford Community College, they capture rooftop runoff in an 80,000 gallon cistern to use in an evaporative cooling tower.

22. Leak reporting

    Dripping faucets can waste more than 600 gallons a year, and running toilets waste more than 131,000 gallons. On many college campuses, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to report any leaks that they see. Doing so can alert the maintenance staff to undiscovered sources of water waste that can be resolved easily.

23. Hand sanitizer installation

    Duke University and many others have cut down on water used for sanitation purposes by installing hand sanitizers in bathrooms and other common areas. For quick sanitation purposes, a full hand wash using water is not needed, and alcohol-based sanitizer can be used instead.

24. Smart flushing

    In addition to low flow and dual flush toilets, schools are updating with automatic eye flushers. These toilets flush according to the length of time a person is sitting on it, with a 1.1 gallon flush for less than 65 seconds, and 1.6 for 65 seconds or more.

25. Laundry education

    Tufts reminds students to practice sustainable laundry techniques. Using a flyer, students are educated on using cold water options for washing clothing.

26. Increased irrigation ponds

    At Duke University, they are taking advantage of more natural water storage by increasing the size of irrigation ponds on their golf course. This water can be used for toilets, landscaping, and more.

27. Water free urinals

    Many colleges, including Vanderbilt University, are installing water-free urinals, which do not flush. Instead, the urinals use liquid chemicals and gravity, saving up to 40,000 gallons of water each year.

28. Water use monitoring

    Enhancing awareness of water usage can help conservation efforts, making those who consume water more careful in their usage. Several colleges, including UC-Santa Cruz, have shared water use data publicly and within their community to spotlight conservation of water.

29. Watering at night

    At lots of schools, watering was completed manually during the daytime, but more recently, colleges have implemented smart irrigation systems that water during the evening or early morning hours, saving evaporation, as well as overspray.

30. Native plants

    Colleges like Centralia are switching to native plants, which need less water and maintenance due to their indigenous status.

31. Rooftop vegetation

    To reduce the passage of rainwater into the sewer system, colleges are installing green roofs, which feature vegetation that consumes a large amount of water before running off. These systems also help to keep the top floor of buildings cooler during hot months, and insulated from cold temperatures and icy winds in the winter.

32. Reduced power washing

    Everyone likes to see a sparkly clean college, but many schools are recognizing that they don’t need to power wash as often as they have in the past. At the University of Washington, power washing has been reduced to the removal of graffiti and slippery materials only.

33. Simple reminders

    Using stickers, signs, and other awareness tools, schools are placing simple reminders in high water usage areas, such as busy restrooms. These reminders can help students be mindful about their water usage.

34. Purchasing Energy Star equipment

    Dishwashers, washing machines, and other water-consuming appliances can make a big difference in water usage, especially on a college sized scale. Schools like Boston College are replacing their old equipment with new, more energy efficient machines, cutting water consumption by 50%.

35. Updated facilities equipment

    Water cooled compressors, single pass chillers, cooling towers, and more often use water, and not always efficiently. Schools like the University of Washington have identified water wasting equipment and updated them, such as replacing water cooled compressors with air cooled ones.

36. Drought-tolerant grass

    Schools are adopting the use of grass that doesn’t need to be watered or mowed often. At UC-Davis and UC-Riverside, a new strain of grass, UC-Verde, was created. This grass needs only 25% the amount of water used for typical turf grasses.

37. On-demand hot water heaters

    Residential buildings may have their hot water heaters upgraded to tankless on demand models. At Dartmouth, these heaters are used to save water while students wait for the water to heat up.

38. Removing lawn areas

    Maintaining lawn areas typically means keeping up with watering, but at Scripps College, they may not have to deal with it as much. The college is considering removing lawn areas where appropriate, reducing the amount of water needed to maintain campus lawns.

39. Water coolers and taps

    With the use of water coolers, students, faculty, and staff can fill up reusable containers instead of buying bottled water. Schools like Dartmouth have employed the use of Brita pitchers and point of service units that dispense filtered (and sometimes even flavored) water.

40. Water recycling washing machines

    At Middlebury College, soiled aprons and chef jackets go through to wash and rinse cycles, which ordinarily would be wasteful. But using a water recycler, the college is able to capture the rinse water for the next wash cycle.

Manatee water customers eligible for $100 rebate under toilet replacement program

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (Sept. 1, 2011) – The Southwest Florida Water Management District and Manatee County are again offering Manatee County residents a financial incentive to save water by replacing high-volume toilets with low volume models.

July 2011

Do you need to know the range of average installed costs for Dual Flush Toilets in your zip code? Do you need an independent, 2011 cost breakdown of Dual Flush Toilet material and installation costs?

The Homewyse Dual Flush Toilet cost estimator provides up to date pricing information for your neighborhood. Enter your zip code, the size of your project below and click “Update”. The table below summarizes the average 2011 cost to install Dual Flush Toilets in your area for good, better and custom quality work.

• In most situations, you will want to have Dual Flush Toilet installation completed by a Plumber. Use the free Homewyse checklist for effective, objective advice in finding, hiring and managing a capable and trustworthyPlumber. Avoid common problems and get quality work at a fair price.
• You may want to consider having the Dual Flush Toilet installation completed by a Plumbing Contractor. But – do your homework to minimize common risks. Make sure that your Plumbing Contractor has relevant Dual Flush Toilet experience, that you verify past work, and that you follow the homewyse checklist to find and hire a capable service professional.
• Avoid costly warranty and maintenance problems for your Dual Flush Toilet – insist that all work to be performed with proper installation techniques and materials. Use the homewyse Toilet Installation checklists to make sure important functional and aesthetic details are completed properly.

Dual Flush Toilets – Pricing and Installation Cost Notes

• The homewyse cost estimates includes all typical costs for toilet, wax ring, toilet seat and plumbing supply connection.
• The homewyse installation cost estimate does not include costs for repair or modification of existing subfloor, or location of drain or water connections.
• Higher priced Dual Flush Toilets may include features such as designer styles, wider range of colors and advanced flushing capabilities.
• Dual Flush Toilet installation costs are commonly quoted from a standard rate and can be estimated by the service professional with inspecting the job site.
• Save money on the total project by having multiple vendors bid on the same, complete description of Dual Flush Toilet work for your project.
• Save money on installation costs by being flexible on project scheduling and be willing to complete your work during slow periods for the service provider.
• Save money by shopping online or by choosing discountinued, odd lot, remnant or incorrectly ordered items from your retailer.

With the $100 rebate that is offered in most Metro Atlanta areas and the reduced water bill, you may recover the cost of a new toilet in a year or two!