Utility takes the rebate

BURBANK — Southern California’s main water supplier will bring back a popular rebate program this month on a first-come, first-serve basis, prompting local utility officials to stress the importance of getting in line early.

Funding for the “SoCal Water$mart” program quickly dried up in May after Southland residents flooded the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California with rebate requests for high-efficiency toilets, clothes washers, artificial turf, climate-response irrigation controllers unique sprinkler heads.

Rebates cover 26 member agencies and cities, including Burbank and Glendale, that buy their water from MWD.

High demand led the district’s board of directors to double the $20 million initially set aside for the program, and to this summer authorize another $14.2 million for outstanding claims, with final checks for residential customers being issued in the next few weeks, spokesman Bob Muir said.

The board plans to pump an additional $19 million into rebates beginning Sept. 21, with much of the allocation earmarked for industrial and commercial customers that replace wasteful toilets and bathroom fixtures.

“Looking at this as a whole, the expectation is that it won’t be around too long,” said spokesman Armando Acuna.

The district, which has yet to release details of the new rebate plan on its website, will do away with its reservation system and instead require customers to apply at www.SoCalWaterSmart.com, or by completing an in-store application when the appliance is purchased, officials said. The district’s website will also update remaining program funds.

Many of the rebates for 2009-10 have been halved to accommodate more customers, with the district asking members such as Burbank and Glendale to split the bill, said Jeanette Meyer, marketing manager for Burbank Water and Power.

In May, Meyer presented to the City Council a plan for Burbank Water and Power to issue its own rebates, which last year drew four customers for artificial turf and 128 for high-efficiency toilets.

“Our residents and businesses were using the program, and we wanted it to move forward uninterrupted to maintain that consistency,” she said. “It’s all about how do you get one step to getting greener and a lot closer to reducing your water use.”