A WaterSense certified shower head.
Yesterday was World Water Day, and last week was Fix a Leak Week (though we really should be fixing leaks every week), so perhaps it's no coincidence that there's been a flurry of water-related activity in Springfield.
I've been following the movement of SB 2549, which would make it easier to harvest rainwater for non-potable uses like flushing toilets, and I'm happy to report the bill is progressing nicely. Meanwhile, just last week the Illinois Senate unanimously passed SB 3147, which would create income tax incentives for 25 percent of the cost of qualifying expenditures for "energy efficient projects" including WaterSense products, as well as green roofs and other environmentally sustainable landscaping. Assuming we succeed in the House, Illinois would become the first state in the U.S. to offer permanent tax incentives for the purchase or installation of WaterSense products. In 16 other states, many municipalities and water utilities already offer an array of incentives, and some states have held brief sales tax holidays.
MPC and Openlands worked with the bill's chief sponsor, Sen. James Clayborne, Jr. (D-East St. Louis) to introduce an amendment expanding the definition of energy efficiency to include water efficiency, and for good reason. According to the U.S. EPA, "if 1 percent of American homes replaced their older, inefficient toilets with WaterSense labeled models, the country would save more than 38 million kWh of electricity -- enough to supply more than 43,000 households electricity for one month." State financial incentives for water efficiency are just one of the many recommendations from our recent report, Before the Wells Run Dry (see page 39) that we're actively pursuing.
Illinois has the chance to be the leader on something positive here, so let's get this done.