October is once again a great time to commit to saving both water and energy and so Rockdale County is supporting a special effort around water conservation.

Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 958 that extends the statewide Sales Tax Holiday for purchasing water saving and energy-efficient products for an additional two years. Therefore, WaterSense and ENERGY STAR labeled products priced $1,500 or less purchased Friday, Oct. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 5, for noncommercial home or personal use will be exempt from state and local sales tax. 

The Metro North Georgia Water Planning District (MNGWPD) is promoting the effort. “We use more water in our homes than anywhere else,” district chair and Dallas Mayor Boyd Austin said. “WaterSense-labeled toilets, showerheads, faucets, irrigation controllers and other products use at least 20% less water, and can significantly contribute to both water and money savings. Not only that, new models often outperform older, conventional models.” 

For example, according to the MNGWPD, replacing a standard showerhead with a WaterSense-labeled one can save thousands of gallons of water a year and replacing an old toilet with a water-efficient one will save more than two gallons a flush.

Besides saving money, residents living in a home built in 1993 or earlier and replacing an existing high-flow toilet with a new WaterSense-labeled model may qualify for a rebate from their local water utility. More information on the Metro Water District Toilet Rebate 

Program is available at ww.northgeorgiawater.org/toiletrebate. 

Visit www.mydropcounts.org for other strategies to reduce water use. My Drop Counts is a water conservation program ARC and MNGWPD developed