During the summer, the average Tucson resident spends $32.35 on their monthly water bill. Whatever your budget may be, Tucson Water has six programs to help residents to shave a few dollars from their monthly water bill while being eco-friendly.
Fernando Molina, Tucson Water's public information officer, says the $3 million budget for the programs comes from customers' bill payments.
"We encourage everybody to take advantage of the water conservation programs,” he said.
Here are a few of the programs that can help you save on your next water bill:
1. Rainwater Harvesting Rebate Program
Tucson Water provides a rebate for customers who install a rainwater cistern on their property. The cisterns capture rainfall to use for landscape watering, which makes up about 27 percent of all Tucson water use, according to Tucson Water. Residents can get the rebate for both active and passive rainwater-harvesting systems. Passive rainwater harvesting is a method that stores rainfall in water catching areas like basins or stream beds until it can be naturally absorbed into the land. Active harvesting involves equipment that captures, filters, stores and delivers rainwater to landscaping areas, which can be more costly to install than passive systems.
The rebate will cover only half of the installation and labor costs up, to $500, for the passive level and up to $2,000 for the active level, based on size.
Do you qualify?
• Your residence is a single-family residential unit
• You attend a free workshop on rainwater harvesting
Learn more about the program here
2. Gray Water Rebate Program
Tucson Water will reimburse residents up to $1,000 when they install a gray water irrigation system in their home. Gray water is wastewater from hand sinks, bathtubs, showers and clothes washers — different from blackwater that contains human waste.
Residents can be reimbursed on a first-come, first-served basis until the program budget has been spent. Tucson Water will give half the installation price up to $1,000 which includes “pipe, tanks, pumps, fittings, valves, filters, irrigation system parts, installation costs, and other related items,” according to the application. The program does not pay for planning or house remodeling. Gray water waste makes up 31 percent of household water use and can be recycled to water landscape plants. The reuse of gray water for landscaping needs can save 10,000 gallons of drinking water every year.
Do you qualify?
• Your residence is within Tucson Water service area
• You attend a free, two-hour gray water workshop
• The irrigation system is permanent
• The irrigation system was purchased after Jan. 13, 2013
Learn more about the program here
3. Clothes Washer Rebate Program
Laundry accounts for 16 percent of all household water use in Tucson. To help save water, Tucson Water will rebate $200 to single-family residences with qualifying high-efficiency washers. The washer must have been purchased after Aug. 1, 2015 and be listed on the Clothes Washer Qualifying Product List. Not only can a high-efficiency washer help save up to $100 annually, according to Tucson Water, the washers also use less energy and help save 7,000 gallons of water per year.
Do you qualify?
• The washer was installed and the old washer removed and not used again in the residence
• The washer is on the updated Clothes Washer Qualifying List
• You have never received a previous clothes washer rebate from Tucson Water
• The application for the program is received within 90 days of high-efficiency washer purchase
Learn more about the program here
4. Residential High-Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program
Customers in the city with homes built before 1991 can receive up to $150 in rebate credit for high-efficiency toilets. The rebate also applies if a residence was built in Pima County prior to 1994.
Toilet flushes account for 20 percent of water use nationally. A high-efficiency toilet can help cut back on water waste and save customers some dough on utilities. High-efficiency toilets use about 1.28 gallons of water per flush or less, compared to 3.5 gallons per flush for a regular toilet. Annually, high-efficiency toilets can save around 7,500 gallons.
For units with toilets using 3.5 gallons or more per flush, customers can receive $75 rebate for each high-efficiency toilet installed with a maximum of two toilets. Customers receive the rebate as a credit on their utility water bill.
Do you qualify?
• You live in a single-family home
• The residential unit was built prior to 1991 in Tucson or in Pima County prior to 1994
• Your current toilet(s) in the home use 3.5 gallons per flush or more
• The old toilets are uninstalled, not used again and “rendered inoperable”
• You consent to an inspection of your property
Learn more about the program here
5. Toilet Replacement for Low and Moderate Income Customers
For homeowners that qualify, Tucson Water can provide free old toilet replacement for a high efficiency model. Toilets manufactured in or before 1991 qualify for a replacement.
Qualifying residents must meet income limits including $33,050 for a single-person household and $51,000 for a five-person household.
Tucson water offers three models of high efficiency toilets. Households with one resident can receive one toilet replacement while homes with two or more residents can receive two.
Do you qualify?
• You are the owner of the home
• You fall within the limits of Tucson Water’s low to moderate income brackets
• Your toilet was manufactured on or before 1991 and is considered a high-flush toilet
Learn more about the program here
6. The Zanjero Program
This program is offered to all Tucson Water customers who have problems with water usage, want to know more about their home or wish to be more water efficient. The program’s name comes from the Spanish word “zanja” meaning ditch or irrigation canal, zanjero means “water manager."
The program includes a free, in-home consultation canvasing the water usage within a residence. While the Zanjeros are not able to fix the water problems, they can make suggestions about how to save money and water during the walk-through.
Orlando Ramirez, a utility representative and Zanjero with Tucson Water, said Zanjeros check for leaks, analyze irrigation systems and water flow during the audits.
