RainWise rebate program

This stormwater rebate program helps Edmontonians reduce the risk of their property flooding during a major rainstorm event. Learn more about the program.

EPCOR is working to make Edmonton more flood resilient. We’re making flood prevention improvement projects more affordable for our customers through our flood prevention home inspections, the backwater valve subsidy program, and the new RainWise Rebate Program.

The RainWise rebate program will start accepting pre-construction approval form submissions in early Spring 2025. Pre-approvals will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Why is flood resiliency important?

Future changes in Edmonton’s climate could lead to increased instances of heavy rainfall and increase risk of flooding. This rainwater can be referred to as stormwater which also includes water from melting snow and hail. Stormwater runoff is the portion of this water that is not absorbed into the ground and goes into the stormwater and combined sewer systems.

One way to slow the entry of stormwater into the drainage system is through green infrastructure, which includes low impact development (LID). LID is a type of stormwater management facility that incorporates plants, engineered soils, and natural processes to capture and retain stormwater runoff close to its source for slower release.

The RainWise rebate pilot program helps customers complete landscaping projects, such as LIDs, to help manage the stormwater runoff from their properties and delay sending it to the stormwater and combined sewer systems. This delay helps lower flood risk in neighbourhoods and improves the quality of water entering local creeks and the North Saskatchewan River.

Making flood prevention more affordable for customers

This pilot program includes rebates for the following RainWise projects:

Downspouts are pipes that convey water down from your roof. Downspouts are either connected to or disconnected from EPCOR’s drainage system.

Downspout disconnection involves detaching the downspout from the standpipe that directs stormwater to EPCOR’s drainage system. Once disconnected, the old connection pipe is capped and stormwater is redirected through a downspout extension onto a permeable surface such as a lawn or garden, or into a rain garden, rain barrel, soakaway pit, etc.

Note: You must live within the eligibility area to qualify for a downspout disconnection rebate. You can view the eligibility map within the Applicant Guide.

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

Rain barrels/storage tanks (minimum of 200L)

A rain garden is a shallow, depressed garden with specially blended soils designed to collect stormwater runoff from rooftops, driveways, and hard surfaces. Rain gardens can include any combination of native shrubs, grasses and flowers. Rain gardens can also contain pipes that collect and send excess stormwater to the drainage system. The most important part of a rain garden is the loose, deep soil underneath that absorbs and filters stormwater.

Box planters are essentially rain gardens contained to box-like structures and can be above or in ground. These planters often consist of a concrete (or other durable material) box filled with soil and plants. If the box planter is built from wood, an impermeable liner is recommended to prevent moisture damage.

Soakaway pits are holes typically filled with rocks or gravel that let water gradually seep into the ground. They may also be filled with modular chamber units (e.g. plastic crates). Soakaway pits can be covered by stones, gardens, regular sod, or even hard surfaces.

Permeable pavement/pavers are specially designed hard surfaces that allow water to soak into the ground. There are a wide variety of permeable surface options, including porous asphalt, pervious concrete, permeable interlocking concrete pavers and more. These surfaces can be driveways, parking lots, patios, walkways, and other hardscaped surfaces. Some permeable pavement systems have a rock reservoir layer, and others do not.

Absorbent landscaping looks similar to grassed areas and can include other plants and trees. The landscaped area may contain a slightly sunken area and is built with specially blended soils designed to help hold water during and after a rainfall.

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.

RainWise projects marked with an * are for multi-family and industrial, commercial or institutional customers only.

Program eligibility

To be eligible for the RainWise stormwater rebate program, you must be located within Edmonton and fit into one of the following customer classifications:

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

Eligibility for each of the different RainWise projects is outlined in the Applicant Guide.

Application process

1. Get pre-approved

Before you move forward with any work, make sure your project is approved through the stormwater rebate program. Read through the section of the Applicant Guide that applies to your project(s) to make sure your project(s) meet(s) our requirements. After you submit your pre-approval application, it may take up to 10 business days to hear if your project has been approved. You may apply for more than one project at a time.

The RainWise pre-construction approval form will be available in the spring.

Note: As there is limited program funding each year, approvals are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

2. Make your improvements

Project installation(s) may be performed by yourself or by a hired contractor, unless otherwise specified in the Applicant Guide. Projects must be completed within one (1) year of the pre-construction approval date to remain eligible for the rebate.

3. Apply for reimbursement

Ensure you have all necessary photos and documentation (e.g. receipts) to have your claim processed efficiently and accurately. After you submit your claim approval application, it may take up to 10 business days to hear if your project has been approved. Reimbursement for your project(s) will be provided within 6-8 weeks after your claim has been approved.

Note: EPCOR reserves the right to request project-related receipts for all project types to verify project completion and ensure program compliance.

Rebate amounts

Rebates are issued to an applicant once a RainWise project is completed and approved. Rebates are provided at the following amounts:

Low Impact Development (LID) projects: $11 per square meter of managed impervious (hard surface) area.
Rain barrels: $0.25 per liter of stormwater storage.
Downspout disconnections: Up to $100 per downspout, based on receipts for eligible expenses.

Lifetime maximum rebate amounts will vary depending on customer type:

Single-family residential: $2,000 per property
Multi-family residential: $5,000 per property
Industrial, commercial and institutional: $10,000 per property

If you are unsure what type of customer you are, our Applicant Guide provides instructions on how to determine your property zoning, which will help you determine your customer type.

Property owners can complete multiple RainWise projects on their property to a combined lifetime maximum across all options.

Please note EPCOR’s existing backwater valve subsidy is available to single-family residential customers only and is excluded from the $2,000 rebate maximum.

Applicant Guide

View the Applicant Guide for more information on the RainWise stormwater rebate program.