Water isn’t just a utility anymore; it’s a chance for opportunities. Cities all over the U.S. are gearing up for long-term drought, rising temperatures, and growing infrastructure needs. More than ever, local governments and water utilities are rolling out incentives to encourage residents and businesses to join in the effort to save water, manage stormwater, and create greener, more resilient spaces.
Rainplan keeps track of over 1,000 unique incentives from across the country. From Seattle to Austin, and San Francisco to Tempe, innovative rebate and grant programs are making it easier than ever to take climate-conscious action and get paid for it.
With spring in the air, we’re excited to spotlight several standout programs that have been refreshed for 2025, offering new or expanded benefits.
Seattle’s RainWise Program
So, what IS the 700 Million Gallon Program all about?
It’s a bold pledge made by Seattle Public Utilities, or SPU, to manage 700 million gallons of stormwater annually through green infrastructure by 2025. That’s not a typo, it’s a tidal wave of innovative transformation. This endeavor focuses on resilience, equity, water quality, and efficiency. The RainWise program offers rebates and contractor support for green stormwater infrastructure like cisterns and rain gardens.
It is great to see that the program continues to expand. A recent increase in funding and updates to streamline accessibility for property owners is simply the right thing at the right time.
What’s new this year:
💻 Streamlined digital application
🗺️. Expanded neighborhood eligibility
👷. Instant Access to a Network of certified RainWise contractors
✌️Equitable focus on frontline communities
Creating impacts that involve:
- Protecting Seattle’s waterways by reducing polluted stormwater runoff that harms local waterways including the Puget Sound.
- Encouraging residents and businesses to become part of the solution.
- Advancing climate resilience through nature-based solutions that cool urban heat, prevent flooding, and restore natural water cycles.
By focusing on prioritizing equitable collaboration with underserved and frontline communities. SPU is ensuring access to funding, support, and sustainable designs are attainable. When brought together these efforts can transform neighborhoods into greener and cleaner, and more connected spaces.
Landscape Smarter Not Harder: Tempe’s Landscape Rebates Gets a Boost
In a city where water is gold, Tempe continues to turn out the incentives that turn traditional lawns into resiliency-focused success stories and rewarding residents who ditch that thirsty turf and say ‘yes’ to the right choice for their lawn. Tempe focuses on helping its residents provide lawn therapy so their yards work with the climate, not against it.
The newly updated Tempe Landscape Conversion Rebate has been updated, expanded, and streamlined to make it easier than ever to create a water-wise yard that’s both beautiful and budget-friendly. In Tempe, outdoor watering can account for up to 70% of household use in the Valley (Arizona Department of Water Resources, n.d.) and that’s exactly what this program is tackling.
HOW?
With the Landscape Conversion Rebate Program, the city is encouraging residents to remove turf, install native plants, and utilize permeable surfaces, all while reducing water bills and boosting neighborhood biodiversity.
Tempe expanded the program for 2025, raising the per-square-foot payout from $0.10-$0.15 to $0.25 and doubling the total available rebate from $1,000 per property to $2,000.
Tempe’s Program Enhancements
|
Feature |
Previous |
Updated (2025) |
|
Rebate Rate |
$0.10–$0.15/sq ft |
$0.25/sq ft |
|
Max Rebate Cap |
$1,000 |
$2,000 |
|
Application Process |
More manual steps |
Fully digital/email |
|
Homeowner Resources |
Limited |
Expanded guidance & support resources |
|
Eligible Project Types |
Turf-only |
Native Plants, Permeables, & more |
Whether you’re looking to lower your water bill, upgrade your curb appeal, or you’re dreaming of a low-water oasis, Tempe’s got your back and your budget.
Austin Water makes it cool to GO GREEN: While Saving Green!
Austin’s summers are hotter than your group chat, and Austin Water knows it. That’s why Austin Water is stepping up with expanded incentives that do more than lower water bills. Austin Water is helping residents become active stewards and turn conservation into transformation with all the glow-up energy. With rebates that support sustainable landscaping, smart irrigation, and rainwater harvesting, the city is investing in water-wise choices that benefit the entire Austin community.
With rebates now reaching up to $3,000, Austin’s WaterWise programs are transforming private properties into public wins, one project at a time.
Austin Water’s rebate programs are designed to:
🚰. Reduce water waste
🌼. Encourage native, more drought-tolerant landscaping
🌎. Support climate resilience
🏃. Empower Austin citizens to be part of the solution
What’s Changed in Austin’s WaterWise Program
- Bigger Bucks for Bigger Impacts
- Rebates are now up to $3,000. A major boost from the $1,750 they were previously offering. That means you can finally install that dreamy native garden without draining your wallet.
- Broader BMP (Best Management Practices) eligibility
- The program used to be limited to just a few landscape tweaks, but now it covers a broad range of ideas like smart irrigation, native plant landscaping, and guidance throughout your process.
- More Access, Less Red Tape
- Expanding eligibility so more residents can tap into the benefits.
- GoodBYE-BYE-BYE Paperwork! Hello Easy Apply!
- The application process has gone fully digital. No more scanning, printing, or deciphering PDFs from 2013. Just Click, Submit and Go.
What’s New in 2025
|
Feature |
Previous |
Updated (2025) |
|
Max Rebate |
$1750 |
$3000 |
|
Paper-Based |
Fully digital, fast-track |
|
|
Project Eligibility |
Limited BMPs |
Expanded to include smart irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and more. |
|
Program Reach |
Select Service Customers |
Wider Accessibility across neighborhoods |
Now that even more of Austin’s neighborhoods can tap into the savings and sustainability 2025 is looking to be the start of a whole new era in conservation. We’re here for it and you, your wallet, and yard are going to love it.
From #WaterWiseWednesday tips to colorful rain barrel art, Austin is making conservation cool, creative, and community-centered. Follow @austin_water for tips, real-life stories, and inspiration. Conservation doesn’t have to be boring and Austin Water is proving that one post at a time
San Francisco Ups the Ante: It’s Giving…Rain to Riches vibes
San Francisco is playing no games with climate change. It’s rewriting the whole playbook. The city’s Green Infrastructure Grant program is bolder than ever in 2025. Let’s just say…its giving main character energy for urban resilience.
These aren’t your average rain gardens or green roofs. With this level of funding, projects can now stretch further by capturing more runoff, covering more impervious surface area, and integrating additional community co-benefits like: outdoor classrooms, shaded play areas, pollinator gardens, and even job training components.
The city’s making it easier for ambitious green projects to thrive, with support that’s built for impact, equity, and scale.
Community Impact
In a bold move, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has raised the cap for its Green Infrastructure Grant Program by $500,000. The goal? To enable larger, more integrated green infrastructure projects that reduce stormwater runoff and support urban climate adaptation.
This funding boost is set to benefit a wide array of public and private properties, including schools, parks, and community centers. These initiatives not only mitigate stormwater runoff but also enhance urban infrastructure and environment, promote biodiversity, and provide educational and financial opportunities for residents.
Eligible projects include:
- Rain gardens
- Bioretention systems
- Rainwater harvesting
- Permeable paving
- Vegetated roofs
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By raising the per-project cap to $2.5 million, SF isn’t just writing bigger checks! It’s writing a new chapter in how urban spaces function.
The decision to elevate the funding caps usually stems from the recognition that escalating construction costs and the need for more comprehensive stormwater management solutions have increased. By offering up to $2.5 million per project, the SFPUC enables applicants to undertake larger and more impactful green infrastructure projects without financial constraints (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission 2024).
Why Cities Are Increasing Funding and Why It’s Working
Across the board, these funding increases reflect a growing recognition that retrofits are essential for integrated stormwater management. Incentives work because they aren’t just handouts; they’re a tool for cities to tap into the private real-estate market and leverage public funds alongside private sector investments to improve the local landscape more strategically.
Program Highlights
|
City |
Old Incentive Amount |
New Incentive Amount |
Notable Features |
|
Tempe, AZ |
$1,000 |
$2,000 |
$0.25/sq ft turf removal & expanded BMPs |
|
Austin, TX |
$1,750 |
$3,000 |
Expanded BMPs & Easy Apply |
|
Seattle, WA |
Varied |
Varies (RainWise) |
Rain gardens, cisterns, equity focus & 700M gallon target |
|
San Francisco, CA |
$2.0 Million |
$2.5 Million |
Green infrastructure grants for public spaces |
Whether it’s rising construction and material costs or aging Infrastructure requiring updates. The need for climate-smart solutions and larger, integrated, community-serving projects is also growing due to an urgency to address urban flooding and combat climate risk at the local level. By removing financial barriers, cities are accelerating the pace of change. Empowering residents, schools, and businesses to reimagine their spaces as climate-resilient assets.
