Rainwater Harvesting and Water Conservation are growing and one of the reasons are new incentive programs being announced across the country. Below is a state by state listing of known incentive programs dealing with rainwater and outdoor water conservation.
This list is changing monthly. If you find something that needs to be added to this listing, please email it to me and I will add it and add a mention of it on the front page.
Jason of TreePeople and Anne Hereford of Downstream Strategies
thank you for your assistance in creating this page.
The most lucrative incentive program right now is the one offered in Austin, Texas - a rebate upto $5,000 for installing a cistern.
Peoria Rebates - The rebate program is to encourage a permanent reduction in the amount of water used inside and outside of the home by establishing financial incentives. Customers, who assist the City’s water conservation efforts by installing specific water saving technologies, may receive a credit on their utility bill. Rebates are available to citizens who have an individually billed account by the City of Peoria. City of Peoria Utilities’ water customers can earn a credit of up to $1,650 by converting high water use landscaping (i.e. grass) to Xeriscape (low water use landscaping that includes plant material). Sewer and trash-only customers are ineligible.
Per Fixture Rebate: $75 per qualifying fixture that reroutes graywater (no permit required)
Sustained Reduction Rebate: $200 for every 1,000 gallons of sustained reduction monthly consumption. Programs available for both RWH and graywater. The rebate cannot exceed the cost of the system (excludes labor).
Long Beach Lawn to Garden Incentive Program- Convert lawns to drought tolerant plans. Apply online. Attend a design class or take an online version. Submit design for approval. LB staff inspects before and and after. Residents install themselves or hire someone and then get a check after inspection. For a nominal fee they could get LB staff designer to help with design. Mulch required between plants Residents sign a liability waiver as part of terms and conditions.
Oakland Rainbarrel Program - Oakland Watershed & Stormwater Management Rain Barrel Program is a three-year initiative to provide rain barrels at a significantly reduced cost.
Palo Alto Rebate Program - Install a rain water cistern at your home or business and receive a rebate of 15 cents per gallon. Maximum residential rebate = $1,000, Maximum commercial rebate = $10,000.
Sacramento River-Friendly Landscaping: Rain Garden Program - Homeowners can receive a rebate of 1/2 the costs of materials and installation (up to $500) of a rain garden. Participants may use approved contractors for design and installation, or can install it on their own.
Greeley Rebates - Range of rebates including irrigation Rebates. TTo participate in the irrigation rebate program, you must first receive a City of Greeley Irrigation Audit. Please signup online or call (970) 336-4228 to schedule an appointment. The audit program is very popular. The audit program is very popular. Audits are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. The irrigation audit program begins in April and ends in October. Customers are able to sign up any time during the year. To get a spring/early summer audit, please sign up the previous fall or winter.
Keys Rebate Program- Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority's Cistern Rebate Program creates a financial incentive for Monroe Countyresidents, community and charitable organizations, and businesses who are customers of the FKAA to build,purchase, convert or refurbish rainwater harvesting cisterns for non-potable use. Maximum rebate $500.
Manatee Rebate Program - Open to home and business owners with in-ground irrigation systems served by Manatee County Utilities Department that have a record of using a monthly average of more than 8,500 gallons of potable water during any six-month period on properties built prior to March, 2003; have an approved backflow device and no cross connections on the property. Cistern rebate 50% of documented cost up to $500.
Orlando Rebate Program - Install a rainwater cistern at your home or business and receive a rebate of $0.10 per gallon up to $1,000.
Montgomery County RainScapes Program - Technical and financial assistance (rebates) offered to property owners who install rain gardens, native landscaping, permeable pavers, green roofs, rain barrels, cisterns, dry wells and tree canopy. Maximum rebates are $1,200 for single-family, and $5,000 for commercial, multi-family or institutional. Six neighborhoods with nearby watershed restoration projects, drainage problems or where active watershed group/community are present have a goal of reaching a minimum of 30 percent of property participation in RainScapes program.
Washington County Conservation District - 50% match grants up to $5,000 for home owners to improve surface water quality on their property through rain gardens, infiltration trenches, porous pavement, etc.
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority - Xeriscape rebate of $1.50 per square foot; minimum 500 square feet, and maximum 2000 square feet for eligible landscape conversions. Plant coverage must be 50%; all of the plants must be from the low water use designation on the Rainwater Harvest Plant List. These plants are native or xeric adapted to live on the 8 inches of natural rainfall that occurs in Albuquerque. A rainwater collection or direction system must also be a part of the plan, which must be approved by the Water Utility's Xeriscape Inspector. Rainwater Harvest System must be part of the plan
Santa Fe Water Conservation Rebates - Beginning May 1, 2011, Sangre de Cristo Water is offering customers several rebates to encourage water conservation in an effort to maximize water efficiency and to conserve our present and future water supply. Our incentives and rebates program help water customers save water by increasing efficiency. Program covers indoor and outdoor water conservation. $.25 a gallon for installation of tanks that meet guidelines.
State Incentive: The North Carolina Department of Enviornment and Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water has implement Community Conservation Assistance Program. The conservation district has created a voluntary, incentive-based program designed to improve water quality through the installation of various best management practices (BMPs) on urban, suburban and rural lands, not directly involved in agricultural production. CCAP consists of educational, technical and financial assistance provided to landowners by local soil and water conservation districts.Under this program the landowner may be reimbursed up to 75 percent of the pre-established average cost of the BMP. Included in this program are Rainwater Harvesting System
Portland Clean River Rewards - If you manage stormwater on your property, you can receive up to a 100% discount on your on-site stormwater management charges.
Portland Downspout Disconnect Program - Property owners in the program area can arrange for free city work or do the work themselves and be reimbursed up to $53 per eligible downspout. Over 50,000 downspouts have already been disconnected, removing more than 1.2 billion gallons of stormwater per year from the combined sewer system.
State Incentive: A constitutional amendment passed as Proposition 2 by Texas voters in November 1993 exempted pollution control equipment, including water conserving equipment at nonresidential buildings, from property taxes. Rainwater harvesting equipment at commercial installations is considered water-conserving equipment.
Local Incentives:
Austin Rebate Program - Offers a very wide range of indoor and outdoor rebates. Upto $5,000 rebate on the installation of a cistern.
Hayes County - 1) Property tax reduction: taxable value is reduced by the rainwater collection system construction costs (available from Hays County and other participating taxing entities). 2) $100 fee reimbursement for new development permitted through Hays County Environmental Health
San Antonio Rebate Program - Rainwater harvesting projects are eligible for up to a 50-percent rebate under San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) Large-Scale Retrofit Rebate Program. SAWS will rebate up to 50 percent of the installed cost of new water-saving equipment, including rainwater harvesting systems, to its commercial, industrial, and institutional customers. Rebates are calculated by multiplying acre-feet of water conserved by a set value of $200/acre-foot.
James City County Rebate Program - Covers both indoor and outdoor water conservation. Rain Barrel & Cistern Rebate - For purchasing and installing rain barrels, receive up to $25 per rain barrel, limit four rain barrels. For purchasing and installing a cistern of at least 1,000 gallon capacity, receive up to 1/4 of the JCSA Lawn Irrigation System Fee if remaining connected to JCSA water for irrigation, or half the JCSA Lawn Irrigation System Fee if not connecting to or disconnecting from JCSA water for irrigation.
Bellingham Rebate Program - It takes energy to produce and deliver drinking water, and it takes water to produce energy. When you conserve one, you are conserving the other. The City has partnered with the Opportunity Council to offer City of Bellingham single-family residential water customers participating in the Community Energy Challenge a $150 rebate when they purchase and/or install a qualifying water conservation measure.
RiverSmart Homes - District-wide program offers incentives to homeowners interested in reducing stormwater runoff from their properties. Homeowners receive up to $1,200 to adopt one or more of the following landscape enhancements: shade trees, downspout redirects to rain barrels or rain gardens, pervious pavers, BayScaping. Participants are asked for approximately a 10% co-pay. Co-pay is paid directly to the contractor.
