The rebate programs are offered to treated water customers in the PCWA service area on a first-come, first-served basis and will continue until all funds are depleted. The approved rebate amounts will be credited to your water billing account.
Residential Programs & Rebates
For additional information or applications on any of the rebate programs please call the PCWA Customer Services Center at 530.823.4850.
Commercial Programs & Rebates
Irrigation & Agricultural Information
Events
Educational Programs
Water Use Efficiency Information
More Information
Residential Programs & Rebates
For additional information or applications on any of the rebate programs please call the PCWA Customer Services Center at 530.823.4850.
The rebate programs are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and will continue until all funds are depleted. The approved rebate amounts will be credited to your water billing account. For technical information on the rebate products, go to the California Urban Water Conservation Council at www.cuwcc.org/products_tech.lasso
High-Efficiency Clothes Washing Machine (HEW) Rebate Program. This program offer is for a rebate up to $150 to replace older washing machines with new HEW washing machines. PCWA applied for and received assistance from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to conduct a Clothes Washing Machine Rebate Program. PCWA was awarded funding from the USBR and has approved a matching $10,000 for a total program of $20,000. The approval date is July 5, 2007, so rebates can be retroactive to that approval date. For more details and a list of qualifying washing machines see: www.cee1.org/resid/seha/rwsh/rwsh-prod.pdf
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High-Efficiency Toilet (HET) Rebate Program. This program offer is for a rebate up to $175 to replace older 3 gallons or more flush toilets with new 1.28 gallons or less high-efficiency toilets for all customers in the PCWA service area. The toilet rebate program is partially funded by a grant from the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Regional Water Authority. HET toilets must be purchased after June 1, 2008 to qualify.
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Ultra-Low Flush Toilet (ULFT) Rebate Program. A rebate up to $125 is available for customers replacing older 3 gallons per flush or higher with new 1.6 gallons per flush toilets. This program is for a limited time. This program is a partnership with the Regional Water Authority, South Placer Wastewater Authority and the United States Bureau of Reclamation. ULFT toilets must be purchased after June 1, 2008 to qualify.
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Hot Water Demand Whole House Recirculation System Pilot Program Rebate. New! Hot Water Demand Whole House Recirculation System Rebate Retrofit Program. $150 rebates are being offered for every tank style hot water heater replaced with a Hot Water Demand Whole House Recirculation System. PCWA defines a Hot Water Demand Whole House Recirculation System as a tankless hot water heater, a pump system that quickly circulates hot water throughout the whole house and a thermal bypass valve. The pump can be located at the hot water heater or the furthest point from the hot water heater. The pump can be controlled by a timer, wireless remote control, motion sensor or by an on demand switch. The cold water is saved using a thermal valve at the furthest point from the tankless hot water heater, thus recirculating back into the cold water pipe.
Program Requirements
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Point of Use Hot Water Rebate Pilot Program. New! $50 rebates are being offered for every Point of Use (POU) hot water heater installed. PCWA defines Point of Use hot water heaters as devices that are placed under a sink to bring instant hot water to the faucet. Normally these are 2-3 gallon devices and are plugged into an outlet.
Program Requirements
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Lawn Replacement Rebate Pilot Program. New! Rebates are being offered for removal of maintained lawn* that is replaced with either non-water consuming material (e.g., bark or mulch, rock, deck, synthetic turf, concrete, and permeable concrete products) or low to moderate use plants. The maximum rebate is $300 per parcel and is applied as a credit to the account. The minimum amount of maintained lawn that must be replaced is 300 square feet. Before beginning the Replacement Program, you must receive the information packet that contains the detailed terms and conditions of the program. In order to be eligible a pre-conversion site visit must be scheduled (before any lawn is removed).
A $300 rebate is given if the lawn is replaced with non-water consuming material (e.g., bark or mulch, rock, deck, synthetic turf, concrete, and permeable concrete products).
A $150 rebate is given if the lawn is replaced with low to moderate water-use plant selections (this includes all non-water consuming surface materials used in and around the plants). Low to moderate plant material shall be used and the plant coverage cannot exceed 50% of the landscaped area when fully mature.
Existing lawn Irrigation system plumbing must be removed/rendered useless or replaced with an approved low volume irrigation system if low to moderate plant material is installed in the newly landscaped area.
*Maintained lawn is considered grass that is regularly watered and mowed and in good condition.
Applicant must be a treated water customer of PCWA.
Areas to be converted must be maintained lawn currently irrigated with treated water. Dead lawns will not be eligible for a rebate. The material(s) must be installed at the service address listed on the application. Rebates are for lawn replacement only. For additional information or applications please call the PCWA Customer Services Center at 530.823.4850.
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Water-Wise House Calls: Our trained technicians will come to your home, business, apartment house or mobile home park and check for leaks and give you customized water-use tips, outdoor irrigation check-ups and provide watering schedules. To schedule an appointment call PCWA Customer Services at 530.823.4850 or 800.464.0030.
During the call we will:
- Evaluate the efficiency of the irrigation system.
- Provide an irrigation watering schedule.
- Identify irrigation leaks, broken or mismatched sprinkler heads, high pressure and other common problems.
- Provide water efficiency program materials and water-wise landscaping tips.
- Check the toilets for leaks and replace toilet flapper valves, if needed, and requested.
- Install water efficient shower heads and faucet aerators if needed and requested.
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PCWA Water Use Efficiency Team
Commercial Programs & Rebates
"Commercial" sites include: businesses, schools, government facilities, parks, hotels, restaurants, and churches.
For additional information or applications on any of the rebate programs please call the PCWA Customer Services Center at 530.823.4850.
The rebate programs are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and will continue until all funds are depleted. The approved rebate amounts will be credited to your water billing account. For technical information on the rebate products, go to the California Urban Water Conservation Council website at:
www.cuwcc.org/products_tech.lasso
High-Efficiency Toilet (HET) Rebate Program. This program offer is for a rebate up to $200 to replace older 3 gallons or more flush toilets with new 1.28 gallons or less high-efficiency toilets for all customers in the PCWA service area. The toilet rebate program is partially funded by a grant from the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Regional Water Authority. HET toilets must be purchased after June 1, 2008 to qualify. For more details and a list of qualifying toilets see:
http://www.cuwcc.com/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=7396
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Waterless Urinal Rebate Program. This program offer is for a rebate up to $200 to replace older high-flow urinals with new waterless urinals. In addition to saving water and sewer costs, waterless urinals are an improvement over traditional urinals in both maintenance and hygiene. This program is partially funded by a grant from the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Regional Water Authority. For more details and a list of qualifying toilets and urinals see:
http://www.cuwcc.com/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=7408
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Water-Wise Business Calls. Our trained technicians will come to your commercial site. They will check for leaks, conduct outdoor irrigation check ups and provide watering schedules. To schedule an appointment call PCWA Customer Services at 530.823.4850 or 800.464.0030.
Large Landscape Irrigation Survey. The Agency will fund services to complete 40 large landscape water surveys for irrigated areas over one acre. The certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor will schedule, assess, and follow up with recommendations and provide a detailed water yield analysis. To schedule an appointment call PCWA Customer Services at 530.823.4850 or 800.464.0030.
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Irrigation & Agricultural Information
All questions should be directed to the PCWA Customer Services Center at 530.823.4850 or 800.464.0030.
Grower Irrigation Management System (GIMS). The program started with a small number of agricultural customers in 2005 and will be expanded in future years. Installation of soil probes will allow soil moisture monitoring. The agricultural customer is notified on a weekly basis of irrigation scheduling using the California Irrigation Management Information System evapotranspiration (ETo) data. The GIMS program is partially funded by a grant from the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
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California Irrigation Management Information Service (CIMIS). In partnership with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Agency operates and maintains two CIMIS weather stations in Placer County. They are supported by the
Placer County Farm Advisors and the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation District.
In late 2005 the California Urban Water Conservation Council obtained Proposition 50 funding to work with DWR to study additional sites to establish local evapotranspiration (ETo) data for urban and microclimate locations. The first year, DWR was interested in the installation of 10 study sites throughout California based on suitable locations within relative proximity to an already established CIMIS station and purveyor readiness. Twenty seven interested purveyors submitted requests for forty two stations. Of these applications DWR determined that the PCWA Sunset Water Treatment Plant property would be a suitable location to install one of the ten study sites. DWR collects and analyzes the data to determine if there is a reliable correlation between this station and other reference CIMIS stations. The stations installed during this study are essentially the same as established CIMIS stations, except they are located on a surface other than grass.
CIMIS is a network of automated and computerized weather stations located at key agricultural and urban areas in the state. CIMIS collects hourly weather data including solar radiation, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, air and soil temperature, and rainfall. The stations collect local weather data and transmit to a centralized computer center in Sacramento. The data is converted to “reference evapotranspiration”, which is a measure of water lost from the soil surface (evaporation) and the amount of water used by plants (transpiration).
CIMIS forms the backbone of water management programs on the demand side. CIMIS complements water supply programs such as snow surveys, reservoir capacity estimates, and rainfall estimates.
CIMIS data is a major source of ETo for many agricultural and landscape water users, farm advisors, and other irrigation specialists. Residents can use this information to determine the water needs of their plants and to create efficient irrigation scheduling. This helps maintain healthy landscapes by utilizing the correct amount of water. PCWA appreciates the partnership with DWR, which benefits its customers, the community, and the region.
www.cimis.water.ca.gov/cimis/welcome.jsp
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Why Should I Use Water Efficiently? |
- Water is vital to life. Without it, we cannot survive.
- The amount of water on earth has not changed since the earth was created; the current supply is all we will ever have.
- Water is the foundation of our food chain; using water efficiently will ensure an adequate supply of water for irrigation.
- Saving water reduces the energy it takes to process and deliver water, reducing and conserving fuel sources.
- Saving water means having water available for recreational uses for years to come.
- Using water efficiently minimizes the effects of water shortages and helps build supplies against future drought years.
- Using water efficiently now ensures water for future generations to come.
- Proper application of irrigation water will enhance the appearance of your landscape and could prevent water waste due to run off.
- Using water efficiently relates to saving money!
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How Can I Prevent Water Waste?
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Monitoring your irrigation controller and doing monthly irrigation system maintenance is critical. Follow the steps below to minimize or eliminate water waste.
- Once a month, monitor your irrigation system checking for leaks, improperly adjusted sprinklers, or broken pipes and valves. Shut down the system, and then make repairs.
- Read the instructions and become familiar with your automatic irrigation controller. Make a list or diagram of each station, include the run time and scheduled days. Keep this information near your controller for a quick reference.
Some soil conditions or the slope of the area to be watered will require multiple start times. If water is running off, try three short periods of irrigation instead of one long period. This will allow the water to soak into the soil and minimize or eliminate run off.
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Outdoor Water- Use Efficiency Tips
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- Get some exercise and save water too! Use a broom or rake rather than water to clean driveways, sidewalks or patios.
- Water landscape only between midnight and 10 A.M. to avoid the hottest part of the day and when water is lost to evaporation. However, since the hours of 5 A.M. to 8 A.M. are peak indoor water use times, try to avoid programming your timer for those morning hours.
- Avoid operating your irrigation system on windy days, since a large amount of water will be wasted to over spray and evaporation.
- Turn off sprinkler systems when it is going to rain. After it rains, the lawns may not need to be watered for three or more days, depending on the season. Check to make sure the soil is dry before watering. A moisture meter can help you check. Too much water keeps oxygen from the roots and plants need oxygen to grow.
- Shut down sprinkler system during the rainy season.
- Inspect sprinkler system regularly for clogged spray heads, leaks or malfunctioning valves and make necessary repairs to save water and money.
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Indoor Water-Use Efficiency Tips
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- Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load.
- Fix toilet leaks. To determine if your toilet is leaking, add food coloring to the tank water and let it sit 15 minutes. If the color appears in the bowl, there is a leak.
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Faucets can flow at 2 to 3 gallons per minute.
- Replace older toilets (pre 1992) with new high-efficiency (HET) models. The new HET toilets use less than half as much water as older models.
- Install new efficient showerheads and faucet aerators.
- Make your next clothes washing machine and clothes dryer water and energy savers. You can cut your water and energy usage in half with the new efficient models.
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Water-Use Efficiency Library |
 Water-Wise Gardening for California: A Sunset Publication (contact PCWA to order)
 Back Yards From the Ground Up: A Sunset Publication (contact PCWA to order)
 Water-Wise Landscaping: Water Efficient Plants for the Sierra Foothills Zone 7
 Rules of Thumb for Water-Wise Gardening
 Be Water-Wise Activity Book Grades K-2
 Our World of Water Activity Book Grades 3-6
Documents are provided as PDF files which can be viewed and printed
through Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free software.
Larger quantities may available by contacting the PCWA Customer Services Center.
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AWWA is the authoritative resource on safe water, providing knowledge, information and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water in North America and beyond.
American Water Works Association
Welcome to WaterWiser®, a comprehensive clearinghouse of resources on water conservation, efficiency, and demand management for conservation professionals and the larger water supply community.
CUWCC is a partnership of water suppliers, environmental groups, and others interested in conserving California’s greatest natural resource - WATER.
California Urban Water Conservation Council Website.
Take the virtual tour to investigate your water saving opportunities in each area of your home.
Home Tour
Check out the Top 5 Actions to discover some of the best ways to save water in and around your home.
How much water are you using at your home? The Water Budget Calculator will help you find out!
Visit the Garden Guide to find inspiration for beautiful water conserving gardens.
![[logo] US EPA](images/efficiency_new_clip_image006.gif)
EPA leads the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment.
WaterSense
The mission of the Water Education Foundation, an impartial non-profit organization, is to create a better understanding of water issues and help resolve water resource problems through educational programs.
Water Education Foundation
This water calculator is a tool that helps you estimate the right amount of water to apply to your landscape or garden Water Calculator.
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How can I check for a leak in my system?
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To determine if you have a leak in your system, turn off all interior water and any irrigation water. Take a pencil and paper and go to your water meter. Remove the meter box lid and see if the dial on the meter is moving. If you have all your water off and the dial is moving then you have a leak. If the dial does not move, write down the meter read and wait one hour. During this time, walk your property and look for signs of a water leak. After one hour see if the number on your meter dial has moved, if it has, then you have a leak.
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