Rain barrels proved to be the hot-ticket item for water conservation rebates this year in Okotoks.
The Town’s Water Conservation Rebate Program picks up a portion of the bill for certain water-saving items purchased by residents. Applications closed in the middle of June after the program’s $25,000 funding pool had been used up.
Of all the items eligible, rain barrels made up the bulk of purchases, Okotoks environmental team leader Jinny Toffelmire said.
“I think with the drought, or the impending drought that we thought was coming down the hatch, over 60 per cent of the funds for the rebate this year were people purchasing rain barrels,” Toffelmire said.
“We've got hundreds and hundreds of rain barrels out there right now that were funded by the program,” she said.
The Province began to warn of a potential drought situation early this year, and the Town opened the program earlier than usual.
"The Province said we're in a drought situation, certain parts of the province, let’s prepare ourselves, and I think Okotokians really stepped up and they planned on doing their part,” she said.
It took about three-and-a-half months for the program to be full, which is typical for recent years, but the time it takes can depend on what rebates are available.
When the Town started offering rebates for Water Sense toilets, funding dried up quickly, she said.
“It was a pretty good sum of money for toilets, and everybody needed to replace them,” she said. “But now that everyone has them, it seems it's been going a lot slower.”
Rebates are available for 50 per cent of an eligible item’s cost, up to a maximum that varies depending on the item. The program includes items like drought tolerant plants and trees, irrigation components and other water-saving supplies.
Applications for next year’s Water Conservation Rebate Program will open in March 2025.
