You may be eligible for a water conservation rebate in Arizona. Here's what you need to know

For decades, Arizona cities have offered water conservation rebates to encourage residents and businesses to cut their water use. The incentives range from partial refunds on purchases and labor costs to free water conservation retrofits.

Commonsense home upgrades like installing efficient faucets, showerheads and low-flush toilets can go a long way in reducing water consumption and residents' monthly water bill, experts say. In comparison to pre-1995 faucets, modern devices can use 40% to 60% less water. New toilets work with 1 to 1.6 gallons per flush, while older models require 5 gallons per flush.

Rebate programs for residential water users are mostly concentrated in the Phoenix area. Program conditions and offers vary greatly across cities. Some have as many as nine different rebates, others just one.

The most common are incentives that reduce outdoor water use, where the right measures can produce the most savings for big users. In metro Phoenix, over half of the houses have turf, and outdoor irrigation can account for up to 70% of a household's monthly water use. Many cities pay residents for ditching grass and installing a xeriscape or low-water use garden instead.

Flagstaff, Prescott and Tucson offer rebates for rainwater harvesting tanks and barrels, which can also reduce city-water use and customers' water bills.

Which cities have rebates?

At least 10 cities in metro Phoenix offer some kind of water conservation rebate. Bullhead City, Flagstaff, Prescott, Sierra Vista and Tucson also offer rebates to water customers.

Many cities offer no rebates, but will schedule free water audits and consultations to help residents identify saving opportunities.

Phoenix offers no rebates. The city claims it has reached water conservation goals "through good management practices" and customers' water conservation efforts. The average consumption per capita per day in Phoenix is about 115 gallons. The national average, as well as Tucson's average, is roughly 80 gallons.

Residents outside of a city's service area might also have access to rebates or free water conservation kits.

EPCOR, the largest private water company in Arizona, offers customers low-flow bathroom aerators, kitchen aerator, showerheads and outdoor hose nozzles for free. Since 2012, EPCOR has provided 12,400 free conservation kits. The utility serves more than 169,000 connections across Arizona.

Liberty Utilities also offers water-saving devices and conservation kits to residential and commercial customers at no cost, as well as free landscape-irrigation audits and workshops. The kits include both indoor and outdoor devices, and can be ordered at the company's website.

The Environmental Protection Agency's rebate finder also provides a list of all WaterSense partners offering rebates across the U.S.

Which are the most popular?

Rebates for water-efficient toilets often get the largest number of applications.

Turf removal is the most expensive of water conservation rebates, both for customers and cities paying refunds, but provides the highest water savings. In Prescott, turf removals saved about 1.3 million gallons annually, by city estimates, and toilet replacements about 600,000 gallons.

The conditions and refund amount of the rebate vary, but in general, the area must be converted to a low-water use garden. Tempe and Peoria offer a TreeBate.

The turf rebate has seen "extraordinary participation" in Scottsdale, according to the city's website. Most programs have a limited budget and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so residents are encouraged to submit their applications early.

Some cities offer special turf removal rebates for commercial water users and homeowner associations.

Rainwater harvesting systems do not account for big water savings, but bring new water supplies for demanding outdoor watering.

Only three cities offer rainwater harvesting rebates. Tucson caps the rebate amount based on the storage capacity of the system, with a top refund of $2,000 for active harvesting systems and $500 for rain gardens, dugout catchment basins in home yards. Flagstaff offers $100 for installing tanks with a capacity of 1,000 gallons or more, and free 55-gallon barrels for residents who take a rainwater harvesting workshop. Prescott also offers rebates based on a rain barrel's capacity and by the surface of rainwater gardens built. Both have a $500 limit.

The number of rebate applicants in most cities has not risen dramatically over the years. Overall, it is sustained, with spikes over time.

"We speculate that many of the interested property owners who had older toilets have already taken advantage of the program," said Adam Curtis, public information officer for Sierra Vista.

The city has been offering rebates for water-saving toilets since 2001. Between 2013 and 2017, it expanded with the Cochise Water Project, but paused for two years after the grant-funded nonprofit wrapped up its work. The city brought it back in 2019 and keeps it going with funding from its sewer and sanitation budget.

To date, the program has replaced about 7,400 toilets, resulting in an estimated savings of more than 65 million gallons of water annually, Curtis said.

Cochise County also offers a toilet rebate to all county residents.

Stretching water supplies: It's free, it's drinkable. Why don't more Arizonans harvest rainwater during a drought?

What are the key issues to consider?

Dedicating public resources for long-term water conservation measures can have great benefits for a city's water supplies. But critics say the rebate programs are only available to customers who can pay the upfront cost of often expensive new appliances and home upgrades. Turf removal rebates in California have been criticized for "providing subsidies for people who don’t need subsidies."

Everyone could benefit from installing water-efficient devices at home to lower water use and monthly bills, but there are barriers that make it inaccessible for many, suggests a recent analysis by the Pacific Institute, a water think tank. Opportunities to make programs accessible for low-income households exist. Authors say solutions include offering vouchers for purchasing high-efficiency appliances, device giveaways and direct-install programs, and programs for residents of multifamily housing.

Some cities in Arizona are starting to offer loans for home upgrades and free water-efficient appliances for low-income homeowners.

Another potential downside is the taxation. While rebates are a refund, not an income, payments over $600 can be considered taxable income by the IRS, so cities require rebate applicants to complete W-9 forms. That can discourage potential applicants.

Some cities offer rebates by reducing the total payment amount on customers' bills. For larger rebates, many offer checks.

Water organizations, like the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, have advocated to exempt water conservation rebates from taxes.

How to find more information on your city's program

Avondale: turf to xeriscape conversion, low-flow plumbing (toilet and showerhead), automatic irrigation controller, high-efficiency clothes washer.

Buckeye: turf to xeriscape conversion, automatic irrigation controller.

Bullhead City: turf to xeriscape conversion, automatic irrigation controller, high-efficiency toilet and washing machine, hot water-on-demand system, water softener.

Chandler: turf to xeriscape conversion, automatic irrigation controller, water conservation retrofit kits.

Flagstaff: turf to low water use landscape, high-efficiency toilet, high-efficiency aerators and showerheads, rainwater harvesting tank.

Gilbert: automatic irrigation controller.

Glendale: turf to xeriscape conversion.

Mesa: turf to xeriscape conversion.

Peoria: turf to xeriscape conversion, automatic irrigation controller, high-efficiency toilet, tree-planting rebate.

Prescott: turf to low water use landscape, automatic irrigation controller, high-efficiency toilet and washing machine, commercial urinals, hot water recirculation, rainwater cistern, rain garden.

Scottsdale: turf to xeriscape conversion, automatic irrigation controller, water softener removal, pool/spa removal, smart home monitor.

Sierra Vista: high-efficiency toilet.

Surprise: xeriscape installation in new homes, automatic irrigation controller.

Tempe: turf to xeriscape conversion, automatic irrigation controller, high-efficiency toilet, gray water recycling system, TreeBate.

Tucson: high-efficiency toilet and washing machine, rainwater harvesting rebate, gray water recycling system, water conservation kit.

Clara Migoya covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This is where you can get water conservation rebates in Arizona