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Closed Businesses Can Get Sewer Rebate For All Those Missed Flushes
Businesses whose bathrooms went unused during the pandemic can claim a rebate (Lazar Gugleta for Unsplash)
Los Angeles County is home to nearly a quarter-million businesses, many with toilets that sat unflushed during the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. Bathroom and kitchen faucets didn’t run much either.
Now, companies that cut back on the amount of wastewater flowing into the sewer system can get a break on their sewage bills. The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts are offering rebates to companies that had to shut down, under a program announced this week. They’ll be able to save up to 80% on their sewer charges.
The districts cover 78 cities and some unincorporated areas. It’s unclear how much the rebates will reduce the districts’ revenue, which is expected to be somewhat lower this year due to the shutdown.
“This program is about charging people fairly if they’ve had reduced use of the sewer system during this pandemic,” said Districts spokesman Bryan Langpap.
Companies will have to show property tax bills and a year’s worth of water bills ending in June to demonstrate they discharged less wastewater into the system. But not everybody’s included -- Los Angeles city sewer bills are based on water consumption, so companies that used less and flushed less are already paying less.
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