Rain barrels and storage tanks

Rain barrels and storage tanks help you collect stormwater for reuse in your yards and gardens.

A stormwater rain barrel/storage tank is a container, often connected to a downspout that collects and stores stormwater runoff from a roof, which reduces the amount of stormwater flowing onto your property. A rain barrel installation is a quick and easy DIY project that allows you to harvest rainwater. When properly installed and maintained, a rain barrel/storage tank is a great way to conserve water for outdoor use, like maintaining outdoor plants.

Never use collected stormwater for drinking or food preparation.

An elbow diverts rainwater into your rain barrel. The overflow hose then directs from the rain barrel to a rain garden or to the street.

Please note that these figures are provided for illustrative purposes/reference only and may not represent a suitable configuration for your specific property. Applicants are responsible for ensuring their project is designed and installed considering the unique conditions of their property.

ON THIS PAGE

Benefits of rain barrels and storage tanks
Rebate eligibility
Rebate amount
Requirements
- Project requirements
- Application and claim requirements
Resources
- How to calculate how many rain barrels or storage tanks you need
- Additional resources
Application and claim forms

Benefits of rain barrels and storage tanks

Collect and store stormwater for outdoor use like watering plants and gardens, washing your car, and taking care of your lawn, which saves money on your water bill.
Help prevent sewer backups and flooding during heavy rain by slowing down and reducing the amount of stormwater entering the drainage system.

task

Rebate eligibility

Single-family residential
Multi-family residential
Industrial, commercial, and institutional

payments

Rebate amount

$0.25 per litre of storage

Requirements

Project requirements

To receive a rain barrel/storage tank rebate, the following conditions must be met:

Purchased on or after January 1, 2025.
Be a minimum of 200 liters. This may be achieved using one or more rain barrels.
Receive runoff from an impervious (hard) surface (e.g. roof).
Have a screen to keep mosquitos from breeding and keep debris out.
Overflow to a permeable area (e.g. lawn or rain garden) or back to your storm service (if available).
Must not contradict the City of Edmonton Drainage Bylaw. Here is some relevant information from the bylaw related to the release of water:

Roof and foundation drainage from a property is not permitted to be discharged:
- onto a pervious ground surface within one (1) meter of the building;
- within 150 mm of an adjacent lot;
- within 150 mm of a City of Edmonton right-of-way (ROW);
- to a location where the water has the potential to adversely impact slope stability, unstable ground, a ravine; or
- to a location or in a manner that causes or could cause nuisance, hazard or damage.

A downspout with a diverter is recommended when your downspout connects directly to the stormwater system. The overflow hose can direct back into your storm service connection.

Application and claim requirements

Make sure that you have all of the necessary photos and documents so that we can efficiently process your application and claim. View helpful tips for filling out your application.

Keep all project-related receipts. You will need to include them when submitting your claim.

Pre-construction application requirements

Before photos

Claim requirements

Photos of completed work
Receipts (If storage volume is not clearly indicated on your receipt, alternative proof of storage volume is required)

Resources

How to calculate how many rain barrels or storage tanks you need

Use the Rain Barrel Sizing Tool and Alberta Clean Runoff Action Guide: Rainwater Harvesting to help determine how many rain barrels/storage tanks you need to store the runoff generated from your directly connected impervious area (DCIA). We recommend you try to capture 100% of the runoff generated.

Example of rebate calculation

One rain barrel

A property is planning to install one (1) rain barrel. The rain barrel has a storage capacity of 55 gallons (208 litres). In this case, the applicant would receive a $52 rebate ($0.25 per litre of rain barrel storage).

Additional resources

Application and claim forms

Application form

Fill out this form to ensure your project is approved before you get started.

Claim form

Fill out this form if you have already been approved and have completed your project.

Questions?

Your questions and feedback are important to us.

Contact EPCOR

Email: rainwise@epcor.com