Rainwater Harvesting

Given the ongoing drought in the southwest and the predictions that our climate will continue to get hotter and drier, approaches for more effective water management are increasingly important for our community. The families in our target area traditionally have had fewer resources to install rainwater harvesting systems and purchase and maintain trees and have been underserved by existing programs. We are increasing the number of rainwater harvesting systems by installing systems and teaching workshops. We are continuing our efforts to reduce the urban temperature in low-income communities by promoting rainwater harvesting for shade tree irrigation. This will reduce the heat vulnerability of the community and lessen the amount of cooling used by community members. We also seek to increase urban water conservation that can help address future water supply needs.

Low-Income Rainwater Harvesting Program

ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION GRANT

Our Low-Income Rainwater Harvesting Program seeks to increase the participation of low-income families in Tucson Water’s rainwater harvesting rebate program. Many low-income families cannot afford the upfront costs to install a rainwater harvesting system. With funding from Tucson Water, our program provides a no-interest loan for families to pay for these systems over time and qualify for the Tucson Water rebate. Find out more about the rebate program at Tucson Water. For very low-income families we offer a grant of up to $400 to help pay for a system, which will often cover the costs of materials (mulch, rocks) for a passive rainwater harvesting system.

The requirements for the grant and loan program are given below. All participants will be required to have a Tucson Water account in good standing and attend a rainwater harvesting workshop. Register for a workshop here. To participate in the loan program, families will need to have an income ≤ 80% (low income) of the area median income (AMI), live in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling, and have their property taxes paid. The grant program has similar requirements except the income limit is lowered to ≤ 50% (very low income) of the AMI. Families that rent can participate if they have a signed letter of agreement from their landlord.

Requirements for Participation in Program

Requirement	Loan Program	Grant Program
*If owner-occupied single-family dwelling. Not required for renters.
Tucson Water account in good standing	X	X
Attend a rainwater harvesting workshop	X	X
Income ≤ 80% of the AMI (low income)	X	-
Income ≤ 50% of the AMI (very low income)	X	X
Owner-occupied single-family dwelling	X	X
Property taxes paid^*	X	X

Amount of Loan or Grant by Income

Income % of AMI	Amount of Loan	Amount of Grant
> 50% ≤ 80%	Up to $2,000 plus amount of TW rebate	None
> 30% ≤ 50%	Up to $2,000 plus amount of TW rebate	Up to $400
≤ 30%	Up to $2,000 plus amount of TW rebate	Up to $400