REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Consideration of a Rain Barrel Rebate Program
Report
BACKGROUND
The historic drought that spanned from 2012 through 2016 included the driest four-year statewide precipitation on record (2012-2015) and the smallest Sierra-Cascades snowpack on record (2015, with 5 percent of average). This period was also marked by extraordinary periods of heat with 2014, 2015 and 2016 being California's first, second and third warmest years in terms of statewide average temperatures. During this period residents and businesses responded by reducing water demands and meeting water conservation goals set by the City.
While last year's record breaking precipitation totals did end the State-wide drought, it is imperative that water conservation remains a way of life for all Californians in preparation of future dry spells. As part of the City's overall effort to continue promoting water efficiency, Water and Sewer Utilities is proposing a Rain Barrel Rebate Program to encourage residents to install rain water capture and storage devices at their households. The program encourages conservation or water wise management practices and educates customers on the importance of water resources. The program will provide up to a $100 rebate to Santa Clara households that purchase and install a new rain barrel at their home.
DISCUSSION
Rain barrels capture rain water from a roof and store it for later use such as irrigation for lawns, gardens or indoor plants. By capturing and storing rain water for future use, households can potentially delay starting up irrigation systems for water efficient landscapes. Also, because the rain water is free it can help reduce water bills when used in lieu of traditional irrigation systems. Rain barrels can help maintain a healthy urban watershed by not only reducing the demand on the potable water system for irrigation, but also reducing the amount of wet weather runoff that is collected and sent into the City's storm...
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