Collect rainwater, save money, and help protect local creeks and the San Francisco Bay!
The City of Palo Alto partners with Valley Water to offer stormwater rebates to residents and businesses. The Stormwater Rebate Program offers rebates for rain barrels, cisterns, and rain gardens. These features can enhance the beauty and water efficiency of your landscape, collect rainwater for future irrigation use, reduce moisture and ponding around building foundations, build drought resilience, and filter pollutants from stormwater runoff that would otherwise enter creeks and the San Francisco Bay.
Participants must own the property to be eligible or, if renting, receive written consent from the property owner to be eligible to apply for and receive the rebate on behalf of the property owner. Contractors can submit applications on behalf of their clients.
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Rain Barrels
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Cisterns
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Rain Gardens |
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Total Rebate Amount:
$70 per barrel
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Total Rebate Amount:
$1.00 per gallon
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Total Rebate Amount:
$2 per square foot of roof diverted, up to $600 |
Size Requirement:
40 to 199 gallons |
Size Requirement:
200 gallons or larger |
Size Requirement:
Minimum of 100 square feet diverted |
Installation
Requirement:
Can be self-installed |
Installation
Requirement:
Must be installed by a licensed contractor |
Installation
Requirement:
Must be installed by a licensed contractor
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All applications issued a Notice to Proceed will be held to a total lifetime rebate cap (for the Landscape Conversion Rebate, Irrigation Equipment Upgrade Rebate, and Stormwater Rebate combined) of $6,000 for Single-Family and small Multi-family (4 or fewer units) sites and $135,000 for all Commercial and large Multi-Family (5 or more units) sites.
For more information on rebate rates and total lifetime rebate cap, visit Valley Water's Program Overview.
Please note the City of Palo Alto pervious pavement program closed summer 2026 and is no longer available.
- Apply for your rebate before purchasing any equipment or beginning your project. Items purchased or installed before applying will not be eligible for a rebate.
- Review the City's Terms and Conditions to ensure compliance.
- Apply for rain barrel, cistern, and rain garden rebates through Valley Water's Landscape Rebate Program.
Terms and Conditions
- Property Owner and Tenant release the City of Palo Alto from, and assume all liability for, any losses, damages, injuries (including death), demands, claims, actions, or debts based upon or arising from participation in the Stormwater Rebate Program.
- The City of Palo Alto reserves the right to change, modify or reduce rebate levels, as well as add or drop specific eligible measures at any time without prior notice.
- City of Palo Alto disclaims any and all liability from any property damage or loss that may arise as a result of the applicant’s or contractor’s participation in this program.
- City of Palo Alto shall not be responsible for claims regarding rebate amounts, program dates or guidelines made by contractors, retailers or other third parties. Final determination of rebate eligibility will be governed by the Terms and Conditions.
- City of Palo Alto is neither responsible for items lost or delayed in the mail, nor any remittance delayed due to incorrect rebate applications. Incomplete applications cannot be processed and will be returned.
- The Internal Revenue Service requires the City to issue an IRS Form 1099 (Miscellaneous Income) to rebate program participants receiving a total of $600 or more in stormwater rebates from the City. This is only applicable to pervious pavement applicants who apply through the City’s program.
Rain Barrels
Any rain barrel installation with the following features will need a building permit or consultation with the City of Palo Alto Development Center before installation:
- Stacked rain barrels (i.e., one rain barrel on top of another)
- Any Installation that involves permanent pumps or plumbing
- Any installation that connects to potable water or automatic irrigation
Rain Gardens
Most rain gardens will not require any City of Palo Alto building permits. However, projects requiring more than 100 cubic yards of soil may need a grading permit. This is a large quantity of soil, and most residential rain gardens will not meet this requirement.
Cisterns
Any rain barrel installation with the following features will need a building permit or consultation with the City of Palo Alto Development Center before installation:
- Below-ground cistern
- Cistern will have a capacity greater than 5,000 gallons
- Cistern will have a pump, backflow device, or any other automatic feature. This includes an irrigation system
- Cistern will connect to potable water in any way
To inquire about permitting, contact the Development Center at (650) 329-2496 and select Option 3 for Building Plan Check Team when prompted. Permit approval should be submitted at the time of your Rebate Program application.