Sterling 1996 WC Plan

• Project Type: Water Conservation Plan
• Project Name: City of Sterling Water Conservation Plan
• Title: Water Conservation Plan
• Date: 6/21/1996
• County: Logan
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

STERLING WATER CONSERVATION PLAN

MAY 28,1996

voluntary restrictions; however, the degree of the effects would be greater for the case
of mandatory restrictions.

9-1ncentives, including rebates

Measure 9a - Offer water-savinG devices to residents. cost-shared: The City could
sell customers a kit of low-flow showerhead, faucet aerators, toilet flapper and dye
tablets to detect toilet leaks. The cost would be divided between the City and the
customer. This would be a five-year project, with a goal of 100 homes per year, 500
total.

If all devices were installed, water savings could be significant. A customer could save
an average of 15 percent of their indoor water use by doing a complete retrofit Based
on an average indoor water use of 6,500 gallons per month, each home could save
975 gallons per month. For 100 homes, this means a savings of 97,500 gallons per
month or 1,170,000 gallons per year. To evaluate water savings, a follow-up survey
could estimate how many devices were installed.

Measure 9b - Offer rebates for reDlaclna existinG toilets with 1.6 Gallonslflush (oof)
toilets: As a rule, 3.5 gallon per flush toilets were not designed specifically for that
amount of water use; they are simply the older design of 5 to 7 gallon per flush toilets
"throttled back" to only use 3.5 gallons. In contrast, the 1.6 gaUon toilets-referred to as
U.L.F.'s (ultra-low flush) or U.L.V.'s (ultra-low volume)-have been completely
re-designed for the lower water use. They have been used extensively and
successfully in Europe for the past 18 years, and are now required for new construction
in seven states (including Califomia and New York). Many studies have verified the
positive perfonnance of these toilets, both in tenns of the toilet itself and its effect upon
a sewer system. Converting from a 3.5 gallon per flush toilet to a 1.6 gallon per flush
toilet would save about 8400 gallons per year for the average family. (As a point of
comparison to lawn watering, this volume of water is equivalent to a 2.4" applcation of
water to the average-sized lawn in Sterling.)

Several cities, including Denver, Tucson, and Glendale, Arizona, have rebate programs
for U.L.F. toilets. These rebates vary from $60 to $80. U.L.F. toilets vary greatly in
price, as with conventional toilets. On the lower end, they can be purchased for $70 to
$80, abOut $10 mote than a comparable conventional toilet. These models look no
different, extemally, than their conventional counterparts, and several have received
veIl' high p..,follllallce lalillgs. -en--1t1E>olho!l, elld, ro, those -stab..$-COII"cious people
who want to make a "statement" with their toilet, sleek-looking designer versions are
availablefOt a mere $800.

However, as of January 1, 1994, federal law requires that all toilets manufactured in the
U.S. be 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). If anyone is replacing a toilet, only 1.15 gpf are
available. We may not be creating an incentive for customers to choose 1.6 gpf over a
higher water-using toilet

Measure 9c - DeveloD a zero-lnterest loan Droaram for the installation of water
conservation measures: It could be uncertain where the seed money would come
from and what kind of water savings could be realized.

Measure 9d - BrinG about more water-conservino residential landscaDino: Mesa,
Arizona and Marin County, Califomia, among other cities and districts, offer rebates for
approved xeriscape measures. To qualify for the rebate, a minimum percentage of the

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