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Rebate proposals: Farmers Branch committee weighs toilets, irrigation checks, hot‑water pumps and tree rebates
Summary
Committee reviewed water and energy rebate programs: staff reported 93 toilet replacements and eight irrigation checkups approved, a $20,000 annual rebate pool, and discussed adding hot‑water recirculating‑pump or tankless‑heater rebates subject to permitting, staffing and budget constraints.
The Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee spent a portion of its meeting reviewing current and proposed rebate programs for water and energy efficiency and considering how to administer potential new options.
Staff reported that 93 WaterSense toilet replacements and eight irrigation-checkup rebates have been approved under an existing program and that the city currently budgets $20,000 annually for the two primary rebate streams (initially allocated as $10,000 each). "So our last one...we got 93 toilets...we've got...probably closer to $8,000 in rebates given over the life of the program," Speaker 2 said.
Committee members discussed adding a hot‑water recirculating‑pump rebate and the possibility of including tankless water heaters as an option. A committee member (Speaker 5) described an installer quote and potential savings, saying the pump quote was "$450 for the pump, $300 for his labor" in an example and explaining how circulation reduces wasted cold water. The committee asked whether pumps or tankless installs would require permits and noted code‑inspection workload could increase; Speaker 2 said staff would consult building-inspection and billing officials and return with permit requirements and estimated administrative costs.
Staff described the irrigation-checkup rebate as a residential inspection program ($50 rebate per inspection, eligible once every five years) and said uptake has been modest so far. Committee members also discussed external utility-administered programs: Encore (energy-efficiency and some solar incentives), Atmos (natural‑gas appliance rebates), and Dallas County weatherization programs for low‑income households. Staff said they will request utilization numbers from utilities to better understand overlap.
The committee also discussed tree rebates to supplement a city tree‑giveaway program (200 trees distributed in October). Staff said an approved noninvasive species list would likely be required for any purchase rebate and that a separate funding source might be preferable.
Why it matters: committee members emphasized that the rebate portfolio balances conservation benefits with administrative costs; permits, inspection capacity and marketing affect net cost and uptake. Staff said they will estimate water and energy savings for pump vs. tankless options and return to the committee with permit and cost implications.
Next steps: staff will compile EPA and other estimates of indoor/outdoor water waste, gather utility utilization data for external rebate programs, and report back with savings estimates and permitting requirements for proposed new rebate options.
