San Diego County Water Authority is installing low-flow toilets in low-income San Diego homes for free.
Many conventional toilets use 1.6 gallons of water or more per flush.
If it’s running between flushes, it could be wasting up to 200 gallons an hour. Over four days, that’s enough to fill a swimming pool.
“It'll be quiet. And then all of a sudden you'll hear that tank fill again. And when you hear that, it's not a ghost. It's your toilet flapper,” program director Debby Dunn said.
Dunn said she was very passionate about toilets, evidenced by the toilet earrings dangling from her earlobes.
The program has installed 6,000 new low-flow toilets in low-income San Diego homes so far, and has funds for 4,000 more.
The goal is to save those homes water and money.
“Toilets with old flappers are more likely to run,” Dunn said. “We're upgrading toilets in a lot of multifamily and single-family homes that may be 20 years or older.”
Dunn said the new toilets were cutting some households’ water use — and bills — in half.
For those who don’t qualify, Dunn said, there is still something they can do to stop flushing water and money down the drain — something she called “the toilet test.”
Put a couple drops of food coloring in the back of the toilet tank. Wait 15 to 20 minutes without using or flushing the toilet. If the toilet bowl changes color, the flapper — that moving seal at the bottom of the tank — is not sealing well.
It might be as easy as putting in a new, quality flapper, Dunn said.
If a new toilet is needed and residents don’t qualify for Dunn’s program, rebates are available for high-efficiency toilets.
To learn more and apply for the program visit the program website or call 888-272-8394.
