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Water Conservation Rebate Program​

Thank you for your interest in the City of Wichita's Water Conservation Rebate Program.

City Council will meet on April 4, 2023, to decide if the program will be renewed for the next year.  Please check back after April 5, 2023, for their decision.

As of November 28, 2022, $0.00 remains in the rebate program funding.  The City has approved rebates for 1,084 devices, totalling $100,000.00​.​ Applications are no longer being accepted for 2022.

Questions?

P: (316) 268-4470
Email Water Rebates

Water Conservation Rebate Program

Thank you for your interest in the City of Wichita's Water Conservation Rebate Program. You play an important role in helping Wichita conserve water and avoid drought restrictions! The installation of water-efficient devices reduces water demand AND saves you money on your water bill!

City Council approved $100,000 for the 2023 Water Conservation Rebate Program on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

As of May 31, 2023, the City has approved rebates for 864 devices totaling $77,861.85. ​​There is $22,138.15 of remaining funds out of the $100,000 allotted for the Rebate Program. If rebate funds are exhausted on, or before, October 31, 2023, the City Council has approved additional funds up to $25,000 for the 2023 rebate program. ​

Devices purchased after January 1, 2023 will be considered for rebate. Please review the list of qualified purchases and fill out the online application on this website.

Rebate Application

Questions?

P: (316) 268-4470
Email Water Rebates

Want a City representative to discuss Water Conservation?

Request a Speaker

We have added a new category, Showerhead, for 2023!​
Type
  
Name
  
List URL
  
expand Category : Clothes Washer ‎(1)
expand Category : Dishwasher ‎(1)
expand Category : Dual Flush Converter Kit ‎(1)
expand Category : Rain Barrel ‎(1)
expand Category : Rain Sensor Shutoff ‎(1)
expand Category : Showerhead ‎(1)
expand Category : Smart Irrigation Controller ‎(1)
expand Category : Toilet ‎(1)

​Drought Update

The City of Wichita entered Stage 1 of the codified Drought Response Plan (Section 17.14.020​) in January 2023. A critical factor in drought stage is rain​​fall in and around the Cheney Reservoir. For more information about annual precipitation trends in the Cheney Reservoir please visit The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website. To keep up to date on the current stage of drought respons​​e and conditions, as well as water saving tips and rebate information please come back to savewichitawater.com periodically.

  • Drought Stage

    Wichita gets its water from 2 sources: Cheney Reservoir which relies on rain runoff to fill, and the Equus Bed Aquifer where we store groundwater for future use.

    Drought Stages are determined by the average level of the Cheney Reservoir over a year long period within the conservation pool. Currently we are in Stage 1, the 12 month average level, is at 84.3% a decrease of 1.73% in May, the next drought trigger is at a level of 50% - 69% of the conservation pool.

    Current Rebate Highlight

    Amount left: $22,138.15 of $100,000

    Most popular rebate item: High efficiency dishwasher (266 rebates)

    Current Cheney Level

    Although we use the 12 month average to determine drought stage, the current level of Cheney Reservoir is 77.4% full a decrease of 0.4% in May.

Wat-er you doing to save H20?

Water is a finite resource; it is up to all of us to conserve it and secure it for future generations. Conservation is not hard, everyday behaviors can have a big impact and it can start on your lawn, here are some tips:

  • Your lawn needs at least 1 – 1 1/2 inches of water per week, varying by turf grass type.

  • Water as early as you can and water 2-3 times per week rather than daily.

  • If you cannot push a 6" screwdriver into your lawn, you are not watering enough.

  • Don't water so long that it runs down the street. Concrete does not need water.

  • Try not to water when the wind is above 15 miles per hour as the majority of the water could miss the intended areas. In addition, high wind speeds significantly speed up evaporation, which means that the water that does stay on course is less effective.

  • Consider planting drought resistant grass.

  • Follow the basic rule of thumb and raise your mower one inch when it starts getting hot.

  • Consider hiring a professional for an irrigation system audit. The audit can pinpoint problem spots and result in conservation improvements which can more than pay for the cost of the audit.

  • Remember to take into consideration rainfall and rain forecasts.

You can use the City of Wichita's Irrigation Estimator and estimate your average watering costs based on the total sq. footage of your lawn.

Irrigation Estimator

The Irrigation Estimator was created as a tool to give customers the opportunity to estimate their future bills. In order to accurately estimate costs and usage please provide:

  • Lawn’s square footage (width x length)
  • Average winter costs
  • Average number of inches the lawn receives per month
  • And the water meter size (residential, commercial, industrial)

*The estimator provides a close estimate taking into consideration the information provided and current water rates.

Use the Irrigation Estimator

Internal Conservation Plan

​The following concepts and strategies encompass the Internal Water Conservation Plan. Some of these steps have already been implemented through our commitment to overall water conservation and others could be implemented in the event we enter a drought response stage.

  1. Reduce water usage on City-owned grass cover​ed land.
  2. Reduce water usage on City owned Golf courses.
  3. Reduce the water usage of City fountains and splash pads.
  4. Reduce water usage at the Stryker Soccer Complex.
  5. Protocol for handling water taste and odor complaints.
  6. Utilize gray water from the Herman Hill Water Center to water trees.
  7. Conservation minded landscaping guidelines.
  8. Reducing water used to inspect fire hydrants.
  9. Upgrade irrigation technology to use water more efficiently.
  10. Reducing water usage through technological upgrades.
  11. Reducing water usage at Parks & Recreation facilities.
  12. Reduced water usage in Public Works and Utilities Operations.
  13. Reducing water usage for vehicle cleaning.
  14. Reducing water usage for Fire training.

 

Along with the above items, staff will determine the feasibility of utilizing each of the following water sources. In many cases, this will require a CIP project.

  • Utilize sump pump system water from City Hall for on-site irrigation
  • Recycle water from washing out concrete trucks
  • Recycle water from vehicle wash-bays at the Central Maintenance Facility and Transit facilities
  • Capture water from hard surfaces (parking lots, roofs) via cistern systems

​For more details please reference the full version of the Internal Water Conservation Plan on the link found on this page.

Want to know more?

Check out the full version of the Internal Water Conservation Plan.​

​​ Internal Water Conservation Plan​​​​​​

Managing Supply

Wichita's ​​Water Supplies

The City of Wichita's Water Utility draws water from two sources: Cheney Reservoir and the Equus Beds aquifer. Keeping these two sources healthy and available for future generations takes continuous work. The City invested about $250 million in the Aquifer Recovery and Storage (ASR) project, which takes extra water from the Arkansas River during high flows, treats it to drinking water quality, and stores it in the underground Equus Beds aquifer. Unfortunately, this "water savings account" was opened for business at the start of the current drought. ASR is still a good project and an important component of ensuring Wichita's future water supply, but hasn't had much of an impact on helping us get through the current drought.

Protecting Cheney Reserv​​oir

Past efforts to ensure the long-term viability of Cheney Reservoir included building a series of ponds in the Cheney watershed to reduce the amount of silt flowing into the lake. This has minimized sedimentation to the point where only 5% of Cheney Reservoir's total storage capacity has been lost, a percentage far lower than what many reservoirs in Kansas have experienced. The City has also continued to tweak the percentage of overall demand that is being pulled from Cheney Reservoir and the Equus Beds aquifer, including recently in response to the current drought. The City is now pulling 40% of our overall water from Cheney while pulling the remaining 60% from the Equus Beds aquifer.

One of the best ways to prolong the life of our two water sources is through conservation, a message the City has been educating water customers on since the early 1990's. A voluntary conservation program has been offered for 22 years and has recently expanded to include a rebate program in 2013.​

How You can Save Water

Over 20% of the average Wichitan's annual water usage can be attributed to use outside the home. Since outside usage occurs mainly during the summer and is easier to reduce than inside usage, the City is highlighting outdoor water conservation tips first. As we approach the end of the summer, indoor tips will be added. Follow the simple steps outlined below and discover how easy it can be to conserve water and save money on your water bill!​