Clean River Rewards

Information

Does the rain that runs off your roof safely soak into the ground on your property instead of going into the city’s sewer and stormwater pipes? As a homeowner or renter, you could save up to $130 a year on the on-site stormwater charges of your bill. Commercial property owners could save even more.

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Water that runs off roofs and other hard surfaces can pick up pollution on its way to our rivers and streams. Unmanaged stormwater can also cause erosion, flooding, sewer backups, and combined sewer overflows. When you manage the rain on your property, you help keep our rivers clean.

About Clean River Rewards

Clean River Rewards offers a discount on the on-site stormwater charges of your bill when you safely contain the rain on your property and keep it out of the city's sewer and stormwater pipes. To qualify for a Clean River Rewards discount, your property must have safe solutions in place to keep the rain on your property. Find information about the different ways to manage the rain on your property.

You can receive a full or partial discount depending on how much rain safely soaks into the ground on your property. The discount may be up to 100 percent of your on-site stormwater fee, which can be up to $130 each year.

How to Qualify

To qualify for Clean River Rewards, your property must have one or more safe stormwater management solutions in place to keep the rain on your property. The following solutions qualify for a Clean River Rewards discount:

Rain gardens, swales, lawns, or landscaped areas. These planted areas collect rain runoff from downspouts. To qualify for the discount, the area of the ground receiving the water must be at least 10 percent of the area of the roof that drains to it.
Drywells, French drains, or soakage trenches. These solutions are buried underground and help water soak into the ground on your property. A permit may be required to install this type of solution.
Rain barrels or cisterns. Rain barrels collect and store rain flowing off your roof. To qualify for the discount, they must let extra rain flow out and soak into the ground on your property when full.
Stormwater planters,ponds, or detention facilities. These spaces collect some rain, while also discharging some to the sewer through a built-in overflow pipe.
Ecoroofs. These alternatives to conventional roofs have a layer of plants and soil on top of a waterproof membrane.

Other discounts are available if your property has certain attributes that will lessen the total rain runoff:

Roofs and paved areas totaling less than 1,000 square feet. This total includes all roofs and paved surfaces (patios, driveways, and sidewalks) on your property.
Four or more trees on your property over 15 feet tall. The trees must be on your property, not the public parking strip. Additionally, you may be eligible if you have fewer than four trees but they are very large and have a canopy size equal to over 200 square feet.