Conservation flows to Eastridge House
April 13, 2009
By Warren Kagarise
Seniors public housing complex gets toilet, showerhead upgrades
Eastridge House residents conserve water with every flush of the toilet and turn of the tap. The conservation effort, part of an initiative by the King County Housing Authority, is expected to save more than 650,000 gallons of water over the night five years.Early last month, workers replaced inefficient toilets and showerheads at Eastridge House, a 40-unit public housing complex for seniors and disabled people on West Sunset Way. The complex, built in 1972, was one of the last housing authority properties to undergo the eco-friendly overhaul.
Whereas the old toilets used five gallons of water per flush, the new models use only 1.6 gallons. Faucet aerators were also installed on bathroom and kitchen fixtures throughout the complex. Kitchen faucets now use 1.5 gallons of water per minute, down from 2.5 gallons before the upgrade. Bathroom faucets use only a half-gallon, down from 2.2 gallons. Showerheads, which were replaced in five housing units, use 2.2 gallons of water per minute.
Rhonda Rosenberg, housing authority communications coordinator, said the overhaul is part of a comprehensive effort. Workers installed photovoltaic panels at some housing authority properties. The agency also uses less toxic paints and cleaning products.
“The housing authority, like many other public agencies, has moved in a greener direction,” Rosenberg said.
“And we were doing it before it was fashionable,” she added.
The renovations at Eastridge House were part of the Cascade Water Alliance toilet replacement program. Workers removed 27 water-guzzling toilets and replaced them with the efficient models. The other 13 toilets were replaced during earlier renovations. The complex now complies with the city’s residential water code.
The water conservation initiative has resulted in a drop of more than 40 percent in water use for its retrofitted properties since the program began in 2003, Rosenberg said.
Mike Brent, water resources manager for Cascade, said the quality of high-efficiency fixtures has improved since the products were first introduced. He said consumers would be unlikely to notice changes between the old fixtures and the new.
Rosenberg said the housing authority seldom heard from its tenants about the fixtures.
“From what I understand, most people don’t notice much of a difference,” she said.
Cascade offers rebates to homes and businesses for water-saving appliances and irrigation systems. The rebates are limited to residents of cities served by Cascade, which includes Issaquah.
Rebates worth up to $100 are available to consumers who purchase high-efficiency clothes washers or install rain sensors as part of their irrigation systems.
A consumer who replaces an old toilet with an efficient WaterSense model receives up to a $100 rebate. WaterSense is a labeling program sponsored by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to alert consumers to efficient fixtures.
Depending on the model, the rebate may cover the entire cost of the toilet. Cascade will even recycle the old toilet for free.
“The toilet is essentially free to the customer,” Brent said.
Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.
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