Rainwise

Rebates for Rain Gardens and Cisterns

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Want to prevent flooding, add attractive landscaping, and provide water for summer irrigation? Through the RainWise rebate program, you can work with an approved contractor to install cisterns and/or rain gardens on private property in eligible areas of Seattle. Newer homes with existing stormwater features or large redevelopment projects might not be eligible.

 

RainWise is featured on the US Climate Resilience Map provided by the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.

CURIOUS ABOUT RAINWISE BUT UNSURE WHERE TO START? SCHEDULE AN ONLINE CONSULTATION.

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An adult stands smiling in front of their RainWise rain garden.

Check to see whether your property is eligible for a RainWise rebate for a cistern, a rain garden or both. 

An adult using construction tools to cut a piece of plastic near a garden.

The key to finding a RainWise contractor you want to hire is how to make your RainWise project happen.

Two adults and a child cut the ribbon to unveil their new cisterns and garden beds.

Learn about the program and connect with neighbors, contractors, and experts both in person and online.

RAINWISE REBATES ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH!

Learn More About the Increase

The RainWise Program provides rebates that cover most or all of the cost of installing cisterns and/or rain gardens on your property. To receive a rebate, you must be in an eligible combined sewer overflow (CSO) basin and work with a RainWise-trained contractor. The rebate can be up to $7.90 per square foot of rooftop runoff controlled. Talk with a contractor about what you can do on your property and ways to maximize the rebate.

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An adult wearing a red rain jacket, holding a yellow umbrella stands smiling next to a garden in front of their house.

Learn about how you can become part of making Seattle’s waterways cleaner through RainWise!

Cisterns

A cistern is a large above-ground tank, like a giant rain barrel, used to collect roof water. RainWise cisterns slowly release collected water back into the storm sewer to help reduce combined sewer overflows.

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Rain Gardens

A rain garden is a shallow depression containing spongy soil and a variety of plants. Rain gardens collect water from your roof downspout and allow it to safely soak into the ground.

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Visit our Tools & Resources section for webinar recordings, grant information and much more!

RainWise Merica, RainWise Homeowner

Merica loves her RainWise rain garden design because it follows the original flow of the landscape.

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RainWise George and Elizabeth, RainWise Homeowner

George and Elizabeth installed six rain gardens and two cisterns with 3,686 square feet of roof runoff captured.

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RainWise Maria D, RainWise Homeowner

Maria loves her RainWise rain garden and the variety of plants it provides.

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RainWise Paul, RainWise Homeowner

Paul captures water from the house and garage roofs to flow into a RainWise rain garden.

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RainWise Maria M, RainWise Homeowner

Maria's RainWise rain garden is both beautiful and functional.

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Big Roofs: Beyond Residential

We encourage community centers, religious organizations, apartment buildings, businesses and other large buildings to participate in the RainWise program. The bigger the roof, the bigger the rebate to keep Puget Sound and its surrounding waterways clean.

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A group of people touring a yard of raised garden beds on a sunny day.
A worker looking at pieces of pipe near a cistern.

Maintenance

On-going maintenance is essential to keep your RainWise installation working properly. We are counting on your RainWise project to prevent polluted stormwater from going into our waterways. RainWise requires homeowners to maintain their RainWise project for five years.

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Questions?

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Not sure where to find arborists’ wood chips for fresh mulch? Need help with rain garden plants and weeds? Wondering how often or how long to water your new rain garden? Contact the Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 or help@gardenhotline.org

Multi-lingual services provided.

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An adult smiling in front of a rain garden.