Toilet Giveaway Will Benefit Youth Agency

Despite the recent wet weather, Los Angeles residents understand that it is always a good idea to save water.

With that in mind, New Directions for Youth, a Valley nonprofit agency that works with at-risk youth, will join forces with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Metropolitan Water District to make conservation a little easier.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the Van Nuys social service agency will administer a free “Ultra Low-Flush Toilet” giveaway at its Panorama City satellite office. The toilets are jointly provided by the DWP and the MWD as part of a continuing water conservation program.

“In four years we’ve replaced about 65,000 toilets in the city of Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles water conservation coordinator Peggy Pollyea. “Every year we’ve saved approximately 10,000 acre feet of water, or enough to fill the Los Angeles Reservoir.”

To qualify for the giveaway, one must be a DWP customer and must be replacing a toilet using at least 3.5 gallons per flush, officials said.

Participants must bring a current DWP water bill and a photo identification, and must also bring their old toilets back for recycling within a week to avoid being charged for the new ones.

The low-flush toilets use only 1.5 gallons of water per flush and will save DWP customers from $35 to $50 per year, said Denna Mulverhill, assistant program director at New Directions for Youth.

“The toilets come in two boxes that together weigh about 80 pounds. They’re small enough to fit in a trunk or the back seat of a car,” said Mulverhill.

As a participating agency, New Directions for Youth will receive a minimum of $15 for each toilet it gives away. The money will be used to support the agency’s programs for at-risk youth and their families, Mulverhill said.

The New Directions for Youth satellite office is at 7875 Willis Ave., Panorama City.

For more information, call (818) 375-1015.