CINCINNATI — Just in time for Earth Day, Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service aims to take water and energy conservation mainstream with ROTOGreen, its new green plumbing program.

Water and sewer rates are going up everywhere as municipalities deal with scarce resources and crumbling sewer systems. They have no choice, but to raise water and sewer rates, which in turn put a strain on homeowners and businesses that are trying to contain costs.

In light of these rising costs, the ROTOGreen program offers smart retrofits to existing residential and commercial toilets, showers and sinks wherever possible. In addition, Roto-Rooter service technicians are installing new green fixtures whenever retrofits are not practical.

“Nobody repairs more toilets, showers or sinks than Roto-Rooter so we believe we can have a real impact on water use in the U.S. and Canada simply by installing better replacement parts and fixtures that use less water,” said Roto-Rooter spokesman Paul Abrams. “We aim to install 10,000 water saving fixtures for our clients by 2011, which has the potential to save tens of millions of gallons of water.”

Roto-Rooter’s green program starts with the simple fixes like next-generation low-flow showerheads and sink aerators to significantly cut water consumption in ways that are barely noticeable. It is also putting a great emphasis on converting older toilets to more efficient dual-flush models that give the user the option of selecting a light flush for liquid waste and a full flush for solid waste. According to plumbing part manufacturer and Roto-Rooter partner, MJSI Inc., dual-flush converters can save a family of four up to 15,000 gallons of water per year and cost significantly less than a new toilet.

To prove that its green program is more than just talk, Roto-Rooter is profiling four families on its website with a before and after green comparison of household water bills. They did the same thing for a 16-unit apartment building with the aim of showing how much water and money can be saved by making a few smart green choices.