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Installing a rain garden may be just what you need! Rain gardens reduce outside water use and stormwater runoff while also saving you money and they look beautiful!
The City is offering a rain garden rebate program, in partnership with Reep Green Solutions, which offers up to $2,000 to Guelph residents who install a rain garden this year (2024). The rebate is offered on a first come first serve basis and is based on the number of litres of water your rain garden holds as well as the cost of installation.
How the rebate works
To qualify for a rain garden rebate you must do the following:
1. Book a rain garden visit
To get started, you’ll need to book a rain garden home visit with Reep Green Solutions. An advisor will visit you and assess your lawn, provide recommendations for where to install and how big your rain garden should be. Your advisor will help you put together a rain garden plan that you can submit to pre-qualify for the rain garden rebate.
2. Send in your application
Once you know how big your rain garden will be and you have worked with your Reep Green Solutions advisor to develop a plan, you can submit a pre-approval application form. The City will provide you with a quote of the amount of money you can qualify for. This is calculated by how many litres your rain garden will hold.
Example: If you plan to install a 4,000 litre rain garden (approximately 13 square metres: 4 metres by 3.5 metres of surface area), you have the potential to receive $2,000 back.
$0.50 x 4,000 litres = $2,000.
3. Install your rain garden and keep your receipts
Once your application is pre-approved and you have received your quote, you can start the installation process. Make sure to keep your receipts! In order to get your rebate, you must submit your receipts so you can claim installation expenses.
4. Submit your rain garden rebate application
Once you have installed your rain garden, fill out the final application form including all of your installation receipts.Your rebate will be issued based on installation costs of up to $2,000.
Example: You installed a 4,000 litre rain garden and pre-qualified for $2,000. You installed your rain garden and receipts show it cost you $1,500 to install.
The City will send you a rebate check for $1,500.
About rain garden visits
Part of qualifying for the rain garden rebate is scheduling a home visit with a Reep Green Solutions advisor. Your visit with your advisor is a free, personalized, on site visit designed to help you through the process of installing a rain garden that’s suitable for your yard.
What to expect
Once you have booked your rain garden visit, an advisor will come to your home to assess if your yard is right for a rain garden. Your advisor will:
- Recommend how big your rain garden should be and where in your yard you should install it;
- Provide a rain garden design and plant recommendations and
- a list of materials you will need for installation.
Your advisor is there to support you along the way
Your rain garden home visit includes up to three visits and you can contact your advisor at any time should you have questions or need any guidance throughout your rain garden installation.
Visits are scheduled on a first come first serve basis and will begin once the workshops are complete.
What’s a rain garden?
Rain gardens are shallow depressions that collect and absorb rainwater, reducing water use and water runoff to storm water drains. They are made up of plants that are tolerable to both wet and dry conditions, and unlike a pond, they allow water to soak into the ground and are dry between rainfalls.
About Reep Green Solutions
Reep Green Solutions is an environmental charity that has been helping people live sustainably for more than 20 years. Our programs help people reduce their environmental impact and adapt to climate change through home energy efficiency, healthy yards, water conservation and waste reduction. We believe that by empowering our community to take action today, we can leave our children a community that is more resilient, vibrant, caring and sustainable.
They have partnered with the City of Guelph to help residents reduce their outside water use and storm water runoff through rain garden installations.
For more information
519-822-1260 extension 2107
TTY 519-826-9771
[email protected]