2011 Residential Rebates: Frequently Asked Questions

The purchaser must apply for the rebate; however, the fixture must be installed in Denver Water’s service area, and the account number for the address where the fixture was installed must be provided on the application.

Send your application to the water provider that sends you your water bill. Many of our customers get bills directly from Denver Water, while many others are billed from one of our wholesale water distributors. All customers who buy treated water directly from Denver Water or indirectly from a treated water distributor are eligible for the rebates (see the list). If your water provider is not on the list, your address is not eligible for a Denver Water rebate.

You must submit your completed application, completed affidavit, copy of your identification and entire receipt to your water provider within 90 days of purchase date. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Yes, contact your management office and obtain the water account number for your building.

It will take between eight and 10 weeks to receive a rebate check, depending on the number of applications we are processing at that time. .

You have within 90 days of issuance to cash the rebate check. Failure to do so shall void the rebate and shall relieve Denver Water of any obligation to pay the rebate. Rebate checks cannot be reissued.

It’s Colorado state law. Anyone 18 years of age or older must prove lawful presence in the United States in order to receive non-emergency public benefits, which includes rebates from Denver Water.

Many retail stores sell these items, but you need to call first to make sure the model you want is available. For irrigation equipment, check stores or ask your professional landscape contractor. If you don’t have a professional landscape contractor, ask for a recommendation from the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. For washing machines, check local retail or department stores.

Call Denver Water at 303-607-3110 or send us an e-mail at conservation@denverwater.org.

Federal law requires that all new toilets 1.6 gallons per flush or less. The plumbing industry is introducing many new technologies and toilet fixture models that reduce flush volumes well below the mandated 1.6 gallons-per-flush maximum. A high-efficiency toilet flushes at 20 percent or below the 1.6 gallons-per-flush level. Only those toilets on the high-efficiency rebate list are eligible for the rebate; however, the list expands periodically as new toilets are tested and deemed highly efficient.

High-efficiency toilets fall into three categories: dual flush, gravity flush and pressure-assist models.

• A dual flush toilet is a toilet that allows the user to choose between a “short flush” that uses between 0.6 and 1.0 gallons for liquid waste, and a "full flush" that uses 1.6 gallons for solid waste. Many new models have a combined or average flush volume of 1.2 gallons per flush. 
• The 1.0 gallon-per-flush pressure-assist single flush toilet uses compressed air to create a powerful flush to push the waste out of the bowl. 
• Gravity-flush toilets are the most common type of toilet found in homes. Gravity-flush, high-efficiency toilets flush with 1.28 gallons per flush or less and use the weight of the water along with gravity to pull the waste from the bowl.

You may choose any toilet from the list of eligible toilets. The list contains the score the toilet received in the Maximum Performance test, a nationally recognized test that rates the toilet’s ability to flush solid waste. The higher the toilet’s test score, the more efficient the fixture.

You can receive up to three toilet rebates per household if you have not received rebates from Denver Water since Jan. 1, 2002. Replace the oldest toilets that are used most frequently first to save the most water.

How much you save depends on the age of the toilets you are replacing and your property’s water usage. If you replace a 1.6 gallon-per-flush toilet made after 1994, you can save about 3,300 gallons per year for a family of four. If you replace toilets manufactured between 1980 and 1994, a family of four can save more than 17,000 gallons per year. Replacing older toilets manufactured between 1950 and 1980 can save about 28,000 gallons per year for the same family of four.

In Denver, call Denver Recycles at 720-865-6805 for large item pickup. Outside of Denver, old toilets can be disposed of with your trash, depending on your trash removal service. You may need to wait for your large item pickup day. Old units may not be reused or donated.

Old washers may be recycled or disassembled for usable parts. Ask your delivery person if he will pick up your old washer, or call your trash disposal service for large item pickup.

Denver Water will randomly select rebate applications for inspection before issuing the rebate. By signing the rebate application, customers give Denver Water permission to perform this inspection.