Tucson Homeowners Offered Rebates For Catching Rainfall

The Tucson City Council has voted to expand its program providing rebates for people who harvest rainfall and reuse it to landscape.

At the moment, "Tucson Water will rebate qualifying residential rainwater harvesting system costs under two levels of funding up to a maximum of $2,000," according to the city. But the program only covers single-family residential homes.

In November, by unanimous vote, the Tucson City Council expanded the program to cover "small businesses and people who carve curb cuts," according to the Arizona Daily Star.

The program is popular, but Tucson Water has weighed in with some points about its effectiveness.

"Tucson Water says those in the program haven't reduced their use of city water. The utility says in a new draft water conservation report that it doesn't consider the rebates a success. Though it is the least cost-effective of eight city water conservation rebate programs, Tucson Water said, the utility was not opposing expanding it," according to the Associated Press

Council member Paul Cunningham questioned that data.

"Rainwater does not flow through a meter, so the water savings can't be measured the same way as a low-flow toilet," he said, per the report.

The council also approved a measure that aims to improve the participation of low-income residents in the program.

"So far, rebate recipients are tilted heavily in favor of affluent residents, shows a survey from [a council member's] office answered by about 300 of the more than 600 rebate recipients," the Star reported.

In a recent memo about water challenges in Tucson, Council members Cunningham, Regina Romero and Karin Uhlich called the city "ground zero for climate change," according to the AP. "Greater use of rainwater harvesting should be a priority as temperatures rise and big rainstorms become less frequent, they said."