[Added 12-16-2013 by Ord. No. 29-2013]
The town hereby creates and adopts a "Town of Hammonton Water Conservation Tax Credit/Rebate Program". The town will provide a tax credit to customers using the public water supply system and a rebate to all other residential water consumers based on the installation and use of a variety of water-conserving technologies and appliances. The tax credit/rebate will be applied under the following conditions:
A. The resident must submit a complete "Application for Water Tax Credit/Rebate" (to be developed by the town's Business Administrator and which shall include a Certification as to the accuracy of the representations contained therein), including receipt(s) documenting the purchase and installation of the device or appliance.
B. The town may, at its own prerogative or as otherwise required by law or regulation, conduct an inspection of the residence to verify proper installation of the device(s).
C. Tax credits/rebates are available only for those technologies, devices, and appliances that carry the US EPA "Energy Star" or "Water Sense" labels, or are approved and endorsed as a bona-fide water-saving technology by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection through the Energy and Environmental Technology Verification Program or its successor.
D. Residents may propose additional technologies, devices, or appliances that have a proven track record of saving water and the town will investigate the possible addition of these to the approved list. No guarantee is offered that a submitted device not already on the list will be approved for a tax credit/rebate.
E. No credits/rebates or combination of credits/rebates may surpass $100 per year.
F. The tax credit/rebate amount will be applied, in the case of a municipal water user, to the next billing cycle and, in the case of a non-municipal water system user, in the form of a rebate via mail as soon as possible following approval of their application and the availability of funds. If there are insufficient funds to provide credits/rebates in a billing cycle, the credit/rebate will be addressed in the next billing cycle.
G. In the event a user is approved for multiple devices, the cumulative effect of more than one device will be calculated and an appropriate tax credit/rebate will be applied.
H. Credits/Rebates will be available as follows:
1. $100 or 50 percent off the purchase of a permanent, mechanical pool cover, whichever is less,
2. $50 for each Water Sense certified toilet,
3. $25 off or half the purchase price of a rain sensor, whichever is less,
4. $100 off the purchase of a water-smart lawn irrigation system,
5. $75 for a high efficiency ("HE") clothes washer,
6. $50 for an Energy Star dishwasher, and
7. $100 or 50 percent of the purchase price of technologies certified by the NJ DEP under the Energy and Environmental Technology Verification Program, whichever is less.
8. The list of qualifying credits/rebates may be expanded to include new technologies, appliances, or devices, upon review and approval by Council, with the new qualifying rebates to become eligible upon the first of the year following their approval.
I. Funding for this program is subject to the annual appropriation of funds by Town Council. Such appropriation shall only be made following certification by the Town Business Administrator, or his designee, that such allocation will have no deleterious effect upon the safe and continuing operation of the town's water utility system and/or the town's general fund.