Photo credit: BAWSCA
The City-County Association of Governments of San Mateo (C/CAG) will soon offer rebates of up to $100 for rain barrel users as part of a new pilot program geared towards conservation, which is being developed in partnership with the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA).
The program will be funded by $25,000 that had already allocated in C/CAG’s budget for the countywide stormwater program and will run through June 30, 2015. C/CAG and BAWSCA anticipate the program will begin in October.
The program will allow C/CAG to offer rebates of up to $50 per barrel with water supply agencies participating in the program matching the rebates dollar for dollar. Since most rain barrels cost about $100 program participants will likely be able to install them at no cost.
Rebate applicants must provide receipts for the rain barrels and provide photos of the installation. With proper documentation, owners will be eligible for rebates for up to two barrels for residential properties and four barrels for commercial properties.
The rain barrels must be purchased by June 30, 2015 and must be maintained for at least three years.
As more information on the program becomes available it will be posted on BAWSCA’s website.
IMMEDIATE UPDATE:
Someone on our FB page asked where to purchase these Rain Barrels. A google search shows Lowes & Home Depot locally do carry them yet checking places by phone would be your best bet. Below you can see the requirements per the the BAWSCA’s website as listed above.
[…] Recently one of our neighbors, Glenda Dywer, replied to a 2014 article we had published California’s Super Drought: Where does most of our water go? with a very important comment “The largest percentage of water waste is flowing freely out to the oceans and not being captured.” Many of us agreed as we watched the water from this recent rainfall run into our drains and feeling powerless to harness it for later use. San Mateo County does have a rain barrel rebate program and more information can be found HERE. […]