LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — Pasco County is reminding homeowners and business owners of ways they can save money on water, specifically when it comes to your toilet.

What You Need To Know

  • Depending on the age of your toilet, homeowners and business owners in Pasco County may be eligible for a special rebate

  • The rebate is for those who have what’s called a "high-volume toilet," which were quite popular before toilets switched to a new standard in 1994

  • Residents may be eligible for a rebate worth anywhere between $40 and $100

Depending on the age of your toilet, you may be in for a special rebate when replacing it. It’s a program that is helping those in Pasco to not flush their hard-earned cash away.

At the Pasco County Utilities building, water conservation and efficiency coordinator Phoenix McKinney knows a thing or two when it comes to saving both water and money.

“Customers of Pasco County utilities are eligible for toilet rebates,” said McKinney. “Our homeowner customers and our business associate customers are eligible for these rebates. As a concentrated effort throughout this tri-county area to reduce our water demands.”

The rebate is for those who have what’s called a "high-volume toilet." Before 1994, McKinney said high-volume toilets were the only choice, releasing about three-and-a-half gallons per flush. But times have changed, and so have toilets.

“It’s actually WaterSense certified toilets, and those are certified by an EPA program that sets out specific specifications to ensure that the flush is consistent in terms of how much water goes thru each time it flushes,” she said.

WaterSense toilets, as McKinney says, are the most efficient when it comes to flushing with 1.28 gallons or less per flush, which can make a difference on a monthly basis.

“In the house, the toilet generally uses about a quarter of the household water demand on a monthly basis,” she said. “That can be just a huge water savings, both for the homeowner and the utility provider as well.”

It’s putting a whole new spin on just how much water we go through.

“By making that change, they would be saving this much water every time they flush,” said McKinney.

And with each gallon saved, the more gallons there would be available to go elsewhere.

“Everyone in our service area could save just a gallon of water a day,” said McKinney. “Every month, we would be saving a little more than 10 million gallons of water. So, it doesn’t take a lot of savings to make a big difference.”

Helpful information that can prevent your money from going down the drain.

You can learn online to see if you qualify for the high-efficiency toilet rebate as well as learn more about toilet cost savings.