Cobb County to vote on water-saving toilets

Following Governor Perdue's order that public utilities reduce water consumption, one metro-Atlanta county will vote tonight on a new water-saving rebate plan for its customers. Federal law says all new construction must include low-flow, water-saving toilets. Now, officials in Cobb County want to offer customers in older homes, a chance to turn in their outdated water guzzling fixtures for newer models. They're willing to pay up to $100 per unit to persuade residents and businesses to do just that. Kathy Ngyuen is with Cobb County's water system. She says the plan was slated to kick off in 2008, but current drought conditions forced an early implementation:

"The Governor has mandated that all water utilities in the 61 counties in Georgia, achieve a 10 percent reduction over winter use. What that essentially means is a serious reduction in indoor water use and we think this program will be very effective in helping us achieve that."

The county has set aside $100 dollars to pay for the low-flow toilets, which use less than 1-1/2 gallons of water per flush versus the older models which can use up to 5 gallons each time they're flushed. Nearly 90,000 customers of the Cobb County water system are eligible to participate, and can receive up to $100 for each unit installed, to a maximum of three.