Soil cells

Soil cells are underground systems that support urban trees and manage stormwater.

Soil cells are plastic milk crate-like structures, which are filled with loose, specially blended soil, designed to be installed beneath hardscape surfaces. Soil cells collect stormwater through an inlet and distribute the stormwater through a perforated pipe into the loose soil, encouraging plant root growth and holding water during and after a rainfall. Stormwater not absorbed by the plants is filtered by the soil before going to the drainage system.

Illustration of soil cells

Please note this figure is 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 soil cells
Rebate eligibility
Rebate amount
Requirements
- Project requirements
- Application and claim requirements
Resources
Application and claim forms

Benefits of soil cells

Provide additional soil volume for tree roots to grow, resulting in flourishing trees with mature, expansive canopies that provide shade, cleaner air, and improved aesthetics.
Improve property drainage, as soil cells hold more water than regular sod lawns.
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

Multi-family residential
Industrial, commercial, and institutional

payments

Rebate amount

$11 per metre squared of directly connected impervious area (DCIA)

Requirements

Project requirements

To receive a RainWise rebate for soil cells, the following requirements must be met:

Receive runoff from an impervious surface (e.g. roof or parking lot).
Installed by a certified contractor and according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Include some form of pre-treatment to prevent sediment and/or leaves from entering and clogging the soil cells (e.g. sump or catch basin).
Constructed a minimum of three (3) meters away from building foundations.
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.

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. EPCOR reserves the right to request project-related receipts for all RainWise projects to verify project completion and ensure program compliance.

Pre-construction application requirements

Project description
Before photos
Design sketch
Directly connected impervious area (DCIA)
Planned project size

Multi-family, industrial, commercial, and institutional customers if available, please include:

Storm servicing plans
Lot grading plans

Claim requirements

Photos:

Completed work
After excavation
Before surface restoration. These photos must show installed underground components (e.g. soil cells modules) before they are covered with soil, plants, or other surface materials.

Resources

How to calculate your soil cell area

Use the Soil Cells Sizing Tool to help calculate how big your soil cell area needs to be to store the runoff generated from your directly connected impervious area (DCIA). We recommend you try to capture 100% of the runoff generated.

Examples of soil cells

Additional resources

City of Edmonton Design and Construction Standards Volume 3-02

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