More than 334 rebates have been given out to Port Coquitlam residents who have retrofitted their bathrooms with high-efficiency plumbing fixtures so far this year.
The $100 rebate on utility fees are paid for every bathroom (a maximum of two per household) with a new toilet and shower head that meet certain water-saving criteria.
An old toilet, for example, uses approximately 13 to 20 litres per flush while a new fixture uses about six litres per flush. Older shower heads use almost double the water per minute that newer models do and the city report adds that a retrofitted bathroom for a family of four can save more than 350 litres of water daily.
The number of people taking advantage of the program in the first four months of 2012 is on track to surpass last year's total of 455. In 2010 529 people took advantage of the program, up dramatically from 2009, when only 66 people filed for rebates.
According to a city staff report, toilets account for 30% of water use in a home while showers make up another 14%. The rebate program, said the report, has helped the city reduce water consumption and save costs associated with sewer and water use.
Rebate applications can be picked up at city hall (2580 Shaughnessy St.) and must be dropped off, along with old toilets, at the city's operations centre (1737 Broadway St.).
Only single-family and multi-family developments built prior to 2005 can apply and commercial and industrial zoned properties are not eligible for the program.
For more information, go to www.portcoquitlam.ca.
