AWWA SOURCES59189

Revelations over the past year about toilet flappers have brought the goals, the savingsprojections, and the methodologies of many toilet replacement programs into question. Are theprograms well targeted? Are they still viable, given savings lost after flapper replacements? Howcan programs be altered to preserve long-term savings?Austin has offered two types of toilet replacement programs for several years: a free toiletprogram and a toilet rebate program. The free toilet program distributes a single model of toiletthat has been confirmed to maintain flush volumes after flapper replacement. The rebate programat first allowed customers to replace old large capacity toilets with any new toilet of their choice.When questions about the reliability of savings due to replacement flappers first surfaced,Austin's Water Conservation program suspended the toilet rebate program and began researchingways to redesign the program to account for the flapper problems. This paper discussesAustin's response to the situation as a conservation program working with a disorganizedindustry largely uninterested in finding a solution. It reviews research into flappers and toilets,outreach to local and national equipment suppliers, and the resulting program modifications. Italso examines proposed state legislation that would require toilets sold in the state to meet a2.0 gpf maximum standard regardless of the replacement flapper installed, and the industry'sresponse to that legislation. Includes table.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

01/11/2004

Number of Pages:

6

File Size:

1 file , 290 KB