The City of Calgary will no longer issues rebates to replace old style, high-flow toilets after Aug. 15.
Since 2003, homeowners and businesses have been able to apply for a $50 rebate as an incentive to install low-flow, high-efficiency toilets.
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Plumber J.D. MacDonald says those older toilets can use 10 to 15 litres more per flush, which costs homeowners more on their water bill.
“Some of the toilets that we changed out were 35 and 40 years old, which were old water guzzlers. There was no need for it,” MacDonald said.
But after 13 years, the city says the incentive to switch isn’t needed anymore.
There are fewer old toilets left and since 2005, all new homes and buildings in Calgary must have low-flow toilets.
Under the program, 75,000 old toilets have been replaced with high-efficiency ones.
At $50 each, that’s $3.75 million in rebates.
According to Jennifer Makar, Team Lead of the Citizen Program, all those low-flow toilets have saved 1.59 billion litres water.
“We’re shifting our attention now to high water users in the residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sectors,” Makar said. “That’s where we’re ready to move onto next to increase the water savings that we’ve been seeing.”
MacDonald says they’ve seen a drop in replacement calls but expects to see a spike now that the city is ending the program.
Calgary Water Services says it’s expecting a last minute rush and they are prepared to get everyone in before the deadline.
For more information on the rebate call 3-1-1 or click here to visit the city’s web page.