Water Harvesting Rebate Program
The rebates offered by the City of Santa Fe’s Water Conservation Office will end Sunday July 18, 2010. The program has been very successful and funds are depleted. We are seeking additional funding to bring the program back in the near future.
$12, $25, or $50 Rebate
for the purchase of
up to four rain barrels
and receive a rebate:
$12 - 50 to 99 gallon barrel
$25 - 100 to 199 gallon barrel
$50 - 200 to 299 gallon barrel
or...
$0.25 per Gallon Capacity
for the installation of
a water harvesting system
Please note: Not all rain barrels qualify for a rebate. It is your responsibility to ensure that the rain barrel you are buying qualifies for the rebate. Only rain barrels equipped with an overflow and secure safety lid qualify for a rebate. A screen does not represent a safety lid.
Cisterns must have an overflow, vent, and proper backflow prevention and may not have make-up water plumbed to the tank.
The rebate program does not apply to purchases for new construction and development.
Terms and Conditions Apply
- Rain Barrels
- Water Harvesting
- How to Participate
- Building Permit Checklist
- FAQs
Supply from the Sky!
For centuries, people have relied on rainwater harvesting to supply water for household and landscape uses. A renewed interest in this time-honored approach has emerged in Santa Fe.
A rain barrel is a system that collects and stores rainwater from your roof that would otherwise be lost to runoff and diverted to storm drains. A typical rain barrel is composed of a drum, a hose bib, overflow, a screen grate to keep debris and insects out, and a secure child-pet safety lid.
Lawn and garden watering in Santa Fe make up nearly 20 percent of total household water use annually and contributes to summer peaking at approximately 44 percent in July. A rain barrel collects and stores water for when you need it to water plants, wash your car, or for other non-potable uses. It provides an ample supply of free "soft water" to homeowners, containing no chlorine, lime, or calcium making it ideal for gardens, flower pots, and car and window washing.
Bring a Little Green to Your Life
Approximately twenty percent of Santa Fe's annual water is used outside. This water use contributes to summer peaking at approximately 44 percent in July. Landscapes provide a quality of life. Continued drought, inefficient irrigation systems, and poor water management deplete water supplies and threaten this quality of life. Because of the expanding concern over water conservation, especially as it relates to outdoor watering, options for finding new resources are needed.
Using clean, processed drinking water to irrigate landscapes is not the best use of this precious resource. Harvesting rainwater saves energy, water, money on your water bill, and is better for your plants.
The Water Harvesting program for both residential and commercial customers offers an incentive for the installation of a water harvesting system that captures rooftop water and diverts the rainwater into a holding tank for landscape watering. The incentive is based on the size of the tank; $0.25 per gallon capacity.
More resources...
Roof Reliant Landscaping
Storm Water as a Resource (Booklet)
Storm Water as a Resource (Cover)
How to claim your rebate
To claim your rebate you will need to:
- be a water customer of Sangre de Cristo with an account in your name
- install the rebated item at the service address
- read and accept the terms and conditions
- complete the water harvesting rebate application form
- attach the original receipt for the rain barrel(s) or water harvesting system tank (please note, photocopies are not accepted)
- send your completed application form and original receipt within 90 days of purchase to:
Sangre de Cristo Water Division
Water Harvest Rebate
PO Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
The building permit checklist for residential rain water harvesting covers all projects, from the most simple to the most complex. If you have questions about what specific items need to be included in your permit submittal, please come to the Grading and Drainage walk-in hours at the Land Use Office (Tuesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 and Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30pm) or contact the Technical Review Division at 955-6127.
Residential Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting Permit Application Checklist
Sangre de Cristo Water offers an incentive for the purchase of up to four qualified rain barrels per residential water customer. The range of rebate per barrel is $12 for a 50 to 99 gallon barrel, $25 for a 100 to 199 gallon barrel, and $50 for a 200 to 299 gallon barrel, purchased between January 1, 2010, and July 18, 2010.
Sangre de Cristo previously offered a $30 rain barrel rebate that was available only to residential customers who purchased one rain barrel any size.
From January 1, 2010, the new rebates are available to residential water customers who purchase up to four rain barrels.
Since you have received a rebate for one rain barrel, then you may purchase three more rain barrels for a rebate.
To qualify for a rebate, the rain barrel must have an overflow, secure lid for safety, screen, and water access tap.
Rain barrels are typically sold in Nurseries, Hardware stores, and can also be purchased on the Internet.
To qualify for the Rain Barrel Rebate You must:
- be a residential water customer of Sangre de Cristo at the property where the rain barrel(s) are installed and at time of purchase
Sangre de Cristo Water offers an incentive for the installation of a water harvesting system for residential and commercial water customers. The rebate is $0.25 per gallon capacity of the installed tank, purchased and installed on or after January 1, 2010.
Residential and commercial customers that install a water harvesting system at an existing location.
Cisterns must have an overflow, vent, and proper backflow prevention and may not have make-up water plumbed to the tank.
No, the rebates are for the retrofit of water harvesting tanks/barrels and does not apply to purchases for new construction and development.
To claim your rebate you must:
- read and accept the terms and conditions
- complete the water harvesting rebate application form
- attach the original receipt for the rain barrels or water harvesting tank (please note, photocopies are not accepted)
- send your completed application form and original receipt to:
Sangre de Cristo Water Division
Water Harvest Rebate
PO Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
Subject to verification, you should receive your rebate payment within 90 days of Sangre de Cristo receiving your application. Rebate payments will be in the form of a credit on your utility bill.
Application forms are available in local retail outlets, Sangre de Cristo Water Division, or you can download the application form here.
Note: PDF files can only be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can obtain a free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader software by clicking on the link below.
Sangre de Cristo Water Division
Water Conservation Office
P.O. Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909
Phone: (505) 955-4225 Fax: (505) 955-4208
Updated July 16, 2010