Water Authority Reinstates Water Conservation Rebates for Residents
May 18, 2009
To help more residents prepare for the start of mandatory water use restrictions in many parts of the region, the…
To help more residents prepare for the start of mandatory water use restrictions in many parts of the region, the San Diego County Water Authority is providing $450,000 to reinstate a water conservation rebate program. The rebates will be available now through June 30 or until funding runs out.
“It’s important to keep these rebates available to spur water savings,” said Maureen Stapleton, Water Authority general manager. “They will help residents reduce water use to cope with our current shortage, and also will help our region achieve long-term water savings goals.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California administers many of the conservation incentive and rebate programs for the Water Authority. MWD recently suspended most of these programs after a huge surge in demand exhausted its program funding.
The Water Authority is stepping in to fund the rebate and administrative costs for the SoCal WaterSmart residential program. Approximately $450,000 is available for SoCal WaterSmart incentives. The rebates will be available by reservation only on a first-come, first-served basis.
Water-saving residential devices that qualify for rebates include:
“¢ High-efficiency clothes washers
“¢ High-efficiency toilets
“¢ Weather-based irrigation controllers
“¢ Rotating sprinkler nozzles
Information on the available rebates can be found at the Water Authority’s conservation website, www.20gallonchallenge.com.
Many of the Water Authority’s 24 member retail agencies supplement regional rebates with additional funds for customers in their local service area. These supplemental rebates will continue to be available through the SoCal WaterSmart program.
Consumers should contact the program by phone or online to obtain rebate reservations before devices are purchased. To obtain the rebate, consumers must purchase the product and submit the required paperwork within 30 days of receipt of their reservation.
Contact SoCal WaterSmart at (888) 376-3314 or on the web at www.socalwatersmart.com.
The Water Authority is continuing to work with its member retail agencies and with MWD to define which conservation rebates will be available and how they will be administered after July 1.
Starting July 1, the Water Authority will reduce water deliveries to its member retail agencies by 8 percent. The cutback is in response to statewide supply shortages caused by regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from Northern California, lingering drought conditions, and low water storage levels.
The Water Authority has declared a Level 2 “Drought Alert” condition, which enables its member retail agencies to activate mandatory water use restrictions for residents and businesses. Some agencies also are implementing tiered water rates that charge more for excessive water use. Restrictions may vary by retail agency. For more information contact your local water provider or visit www.sdcwa.org or www.20gallonchallenge.com.
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