SFPUC adopts ultra high‑efficiency toilet rebate program to continue indoor water savings

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on March 26 approved a new ultra high‑efficiency toilet rebate program that will offer rebates to residential customers who replace older, higher‑flow toilets with EPA WaterSense‑certified models.

The program, presented by Julie Ortiz, manager of the SFPUC’s Water Conservation section, will provide up to $100 for qualifying toilets with a maximum flush volume of 1.1 gallons per flush and up to $200 for models rated at 0.8 gallons per flush. The SFPUC plans to launch the program in July 2025 and administer it through its in‑house Water Conservation staff.

Ortiz said the SFPUC has been incentivizing toilet replacement since the 1990s and that toilets remain one of the largest sources of indoor water use. “Toilets made before 1992 used 3.5 gallons per flush or more,” Ortiz said, noting federal standards adopted in 1992 reduced that to 1.6 gallons per flush and California standards in 2014 reduced it further to 1.28 gallons per flush. She said ultra high‑efficiency models use about 1.1 gpf or less and some perform at 0.8 gpf.

The commission heard that the agency estimates roughly 15% or less of toilets in the retail service area still use 3.5 gpf or more. Ortiz said participation projections assume about 1,500 toilets replaced per year under the rebate approach, which staff estimate would save roughly 3,000,000 gallons of water annually and about 16,000,000 gallons over five years if sustained.

Commissioners asked about remaining high‑flow toilets and technology limits. Ortiz said manufacturers and third‑party testing programs set both efficiency and performance criteria; she indicated 0.8 gpf represents a current low‑end for high‑performing gravity or pressure‑assisted models, though technologies could change.

The program changes the SFPUC’s prior direct‑install approach — a contractor‑led replacement program that staff said they were unable to extend — to a rebate model intended to reduce agency costs while giving customers more product choice. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the program.

The new rebate will be promoted through the SF Water webpage, bill inserts, newsletters, social media and partner outreach. The program is limited to customers in the SFPUC retail water service area and requires replacement of an existing toilet with a qualifying ultra high‑efficiency toilet to receive the rebate.