ULFT Toilet
Rebate Program
Challenge:The New York City
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
launched one of the nation's most
ambitious ultra-low-flow (ULFT) toilet
rebate program in March of 1994. The size
of the program makes it one of the
nation's largest toilet rebate programs.
Using rebates, the City plans to encourage
the replacement of one-third of the
toilets in New York City with
water-saving, 1.6 gallons-per-flush ULFTs.
The Toilet
Rebate Program (TRP) is a
consumer-orientated water conservation
initiative designed to save landlords and
tenants money while helping the City
stretch its capital construction budget.
Since the program began in 1994, the TRP
has installed more than one million toilet
fixtures, cutting water use in the City by
about 60 million gallons a day (MGD).
These savings allow the City to avoid the
high costs of building new water supply
and wastewater treatment capacity, which
helps keeps all water bills low and
provides particular support to the City's
affordable housing sector.
During the
course of the program, as Project
Administrator, Viewtech is expected
to issue on behalf of the City as many as
1.5 million rebates. The program's goal is
to reduce total water consumption
city-wide by 7% or approximately 90
million gallons per day. Residential,
multi-family, and commercial customers
should save 20% to 35% off their water
bills. The City should save billions by
deferring capital investment for
additional water sources and sewage
treatment system expansions.
Process:
The Toilet Rebate Program works this way:
Property owners contract with private
plumbers for the installation of
"low-consumption" toilets using no more
then 1.6 gallons of water per flush, and
the City "rebates" the costs of the work
-- with a rebate value of up to $240 for
the first fixture in each unit and $150
for the installation of a second fixture.
Where possible, low-flow showerheads and
faucet aerators were also installed as
part of the program.
The TRP has
received accolades from numerous sectors,
including national environmental
organizations and affordable-housing
groups, and has been successfully
implemented in business, office buildings,
hotels, housing complexes and private
homes. Having received applications
sufficient to achieve its change-out goal
of approximately 1.3 million toilets, the
program ceased accepting applications in
April 1996.
As Program
Administrator, Viewtech developed an
automatic voice response system for
telephone inquiries in both English and
Spanish. This system allows for incoming
callers to receive general information
about the program without having to talk
to a Customer Service Representative
(CSR). However, if an individual is
requesting specific information (i.e.,
requesting an application, checking on the
status of a previously submitted
application or rebate), the system will
direct them to a CSR for assistance. Up to
80 calls may be handled by the system
simultaneously. The Customer Information
System, created by Viewtech, comprises
over one million records using a
client-server technology in Oracle®
Powerbuilder; with Microsoft® Windows®
workstations.
In order to
participate in the Toilet Rebate Program (TRP),
owners of single, multi-family, or
commercial buildings must request an
application from the TRP office staffed by
Viewtech. The application may be completed
by the owner or an approved licensed
master plumber over 500 plumbing companies
are currently registered). To be valid,
the application must be signed by the
owner and sealed by the licensed plumber.
Once the
application is complete, Viewtech
generates an approval letter which is
mailed to the contact person. For
commercial or multi-family applications,
an approval package consisting of an
approval letter, a Toilet Drop-off
authorization slip, and a Licensed Plumber
Installation Worksheet is issued.
Typically, the review process takes under
ten business days.
Installation of
the ULFT can begin once the approval
letter is received by the applicant. After
the installation is completed, the owner,
agent, or licensed master plumber must
submit a "Post-installation Package" (PIP)
to receive a rebate check. The paperwork
is signed, sealed, and returned to
Viewtech for processing. Multi-family and
commercial building installations require
a Licensed Plumber's Installation
Worksheet and Toilet Drop-off receipt be
included in the PIP. The Licensed
Plumber's Installation Worksheet is a list
of the apartments which the licensed
plumber is certifying have received new
toilets. The Toilet Drop-off receipt
reflects the number of toilets dropped-off
at one of the designated Department of
Sanitation sites. This is a requirement
for multi-family and commercial buildings.
Once Viewtech
reviews and processes PIPs, an inspection
is scheduled and performed as an
additional assurance of installation.
Viewtech then reviews the inspections and
entire application folder and issues
rebate checks. Rebate checks are issued
for the installed cost up to $240 for the
first toilet/showerhead replaced in a
residential dwelling and $150 for each
additional bathroom in that unit.
Commercial buildings receive $150 for each
toilet replaced.
Viewtech prints
rebate checks at its New York City
corporate headquarters. Electronic check
batches are generated and transmitted to
the bank after information is received.
The checks, which are bar coded, are
messengered to DEP for signature. They are
then returned to Viewtech for distribution
by mailing or holding for authorized
pick-up. Due to the large amount of rebate
money, many security points in the system
have been instituted. For example,
Viewtech uses a system of "positive pay"
whereby the bank will fund the rebate
account and honor only those checks that
have been approved for payment. Rebate
checks are typically issued between 20 and
30 days from receipt of PIP.
Results:
The residential conservation programs
have, in conjunction with other programs,
reduced the City's use by almost 150
million gallons a day, with total savings
to be expected from the TRP approaching 90
MGD by program end (end of calendar year).
Conservation has helped to preserve the
City's affordable housing stock, helped
protect water quality and allowed the City
to avoid potentially billions of dollars
in costly system expansions and
modifications.
As of November,
1995, Viewtech has processed and issued
over $102 million in rebate dollars.
City-wide 530,000 toilets have been
installed and there are applications for
an additional 415,000 that have been
approved.
On March 18,
1996, New York City Department of
Environmental Protection hailed completion
of the successful Toilet Rebate Program
"having achieved its goal substantially
ahead of schedule". The Program has
succeeded in providing water and sewer
bill relief to thousands of apartment
buildings and private homes while helping
ratepayer avoid the unnecessary costs of
expanding the system.
The Program
ceased taking new applications in
mid-April, 1996, and set final due dates
for Post Installation Packages (PIPs). For
applications which were originally
approved prior to January 1, 1996, the PIP
is due no later than March 15, 1997.
As of
mid-September, 1996, Viewtech has
processed over 94,250 applications and
issued over $227 million in rebate checks.
City wide 1,135,400 old-style toilets have
been replaced by water-saving models and
there are applications for an additional
500,000 toilets that have been approved.
For more
information, please call: Warren
Liebold, Director, Conservation, New
York City Department of Environmental
Protection phone 718/595-6656.
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