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1. How does the program work?

Santa Rosa Water is offering free high efficiency plumbing fixture packages to Santa Rosa Water customers. Santa Rosa Water customers may be eligible to receive up to two 0.8 gallons-per-flush high-efficiency toilets, showerheads and faucet aerators for kitchen and bathrooms installed by qualified plumbers -- at no cost.  

To participate:

• Once the program opens in mid-to-late 2024, fill out the customer pre-qualification form to confirm your toilet flushes 1.6 gallons or more per flush, and that you are a Santa Rosa Water customer.
• Santa Rosa Water will confirm that you are a water customer (pay a water bill to the City of Santa Rosa) and that your toilet flushes 1.6 gpf or more. Within 4 weeks, Santa Rosa Water will confirm your eligibility.
• Once the City has additional funding in mid-2024, a plumber will call you to set up an appointment to install your new toilet(s), and faucet aerator(s) and showerhead(s).
• The plumber will replace your old toilet and fixtures and haul them away for recycling, in mid-2024.
• You are required to agree that the City has, with prior written notification, the option to inspect the work performed in this program for a period of three years from the date of installation. If your property is randomly selected, and you refuse that inspection, you will be billed for the total cost of installation including the labor and materials and any other costs required to complete installation.

2. What toilet option is available to me?

The Niagara Shadow, which flushes 0.8 gallons per flush, is the toilet being installed for this program. The plumber will offer you a selection of Shadow round or elongated bowl. Both the round and elongated toilets are an ADA height toilet. The toilet is white, with a white flush handle, and it comes with a matching seat and lid.

Additionally, the plumber is required to install high-efficiency bathroom faucet aerators, kitchen faucet aerators and showerheads. For more information, visit: srcity.org/Toilet

3. Does this replacement toilet work well?

Yes. Although this new replacement toilet only flushes 0.8 gallons per flush, it is effective at clearing the bowl. The Niagara Shadow toilet is rated by Maximum Performance, MaP, to be able to flush at least 800 grams of solid material, which rates this toilet in the highest possible category that MaP offers, “highly recommend”. 

 MaP is an independent testing program that is not affiliated with any manufacturer or group. Since 2003, MaP has tested over 4,500 different toilets and is the leading toilet flush performance testing center in North America.

4. What are the benefits to replacing my toilets with these new toilets?

These new toilets, will help you save water. On average replacing one toilet from 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) to 0.8 gpf, two bathroom sink aerators, and one kitchen faucet aerator will save approximately 22,000 gallons of water annually for a two person household.

5. Why is two the maximum number of toilets available for residential sites?

There is a limit to the number of toilets replaced per site so that Santa Rosa Water can achieve maximum water savings at the most houses in our service area.

In addition to this free toilet program, Santa Rosa Water offers a separate toilet rebate for up to $75 per toilet, if you want to replace additional toilets beyond the two you receive through this program. Visit www.srcity.org/rebates for more information about this program. A pre-qualification is required prior to any work being started.

6. If my floor is damaged such as with dry rot, can I still participate?

Maybe. If the dry rot or other issue with your floor does not interfere with the ability of the plumber to replace the toilet safely without further damage to your floor, you will be allowed to participate. However, if the floor issue poses a problem for replacing the toilet, the plumber can elect to not install the new toilet until the issue is fixed.

7. What is “drain line carry” and what does this mean for my house?

“Drain line carry” is the ability of your sewer pipe to carry the wastewater from your house to the mainline sewer pipe in the street. In homes that are older, or have known sewer issues, replacing a toilet with a lower flow toilet can mean that the flow in the drain line is reduced, possibly causing problems with sewer backups.

This is a rare issue, but you should be aware of any sewer line issues before you elect to participate in this free toilet program.

8. Will the City repair or maintain the toilet after it’s installed?

No. After the toilet and fixtures are replaced, the City has no ability to repair or maintain the toilet.

9. Is there a warranty?

Yes. The plumbing contractor has a one-year warranty on the installation of the toilet and devices. If you are having issues with the toilet, call the plumbing contractor who installed the toilet to discuss how they might help you remedy the issue.

Additionally, the toilet manufacturer has a 10-year warranty on the toilet itself. Contact Niagara for more information on this warranty.

10. Can I still participate if my toilet has a custom seat (such as a raised toilet seat) or a bidet?

The plumbers are only contracted to install a new toilet with the matching toilet seat and lid, and not re-install existing equipment such as a raised toilet seat or a bidet. The customer can either hire the plumber to reinstall the equipment after the install of the new toilet, which the customer will pay for, or the customer can choose to not participate in the program to receive the free toilet. Please be sure to tell the plumber when they schedule your installation that you have these extra pieces of equipment.