Improve your property, save money and help protect local creeks and San Francisco Bay
The City of Palo Alto has partnered with Valley Water to launch an updated Stormwater Rebate Program, which is available to Palo Alto residents and businesses. The improved, streamlined program offers rebates through a single Valley Water web portal for installation of rain barrels, cisterns, and now, rain gardens! For pervious pavement rebates, please contact the City.
Installing rain barrels, cisterns, pervious pavement, and rain gardens diverts rain away from surfaces and redirects it where water can be absorbed into soil or stored for future irrigation needs. These property improvements:
- Turn hard surfaces that reflect heat into cooler, nature-based landscapes that benefit pollinators
- Can reduce ponded water in winter and related flood risks
- May decrease utility bills by conserving water for later irrigation needs
- Reduce pollution that would otherwise travel to Palo Alto creeks and San Francisco Bay.
Rain gardens are landscaped areas designed to capture and treat rainwater that runs off a building’s roof. Runoff is directed towards a depression in the ground, which is planted with drought-tolerant plants. They can also provide attractive habitat for birds, butterflies, and other animals, especially when planted with native plants. Photo: Rain Garden in Hoover Park, Palo Alto, Photo credit: Grassroots Ecology
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Rain barrels are low-cost, effective, and easily-maintainable water conservation devices. Rain barrels are commonly used as a secondary source of water for landscape and garden irrigation in residential areas. They can be an easy solution to gutter system blockages and similar home improvement projects. Photo: Rain Barrel at a Home in Palo Alto
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Cisterns are larger water management devices that provide retention storage in above-ground or below-ground tanks. Cisterns are preferable for commercial or residential properties that wish to irrigate larger landscapes or water-intensive gardens rather than an average sized single-family property. Photo: Cistern in Atlanta, GA, Photo credit: City of Atlanta
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Pervious Pavement is a porous solid form of pavement that allows surface runoff to collect into the ground or an underground pipe and slowly percolate through to the soil to irrigate landscapes. It is often used in parking areas, driveways, and walkways or on low-speed roads with limited vehicle traffic. Photo: Pervious Pavement at the Mitchell Park Library
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For more information, visit cityofpaloalto.org/stormwater, or contact Isabel Zacharczuk at Isabel.Zacharczuk@cityofpaloalto.org or 650-329-2585 .
California Virtual Coastal Cleanup 2020, Protect Your Happy Place!
IT STARTS WITH YOU: Keeping trash and debris out of our local creeks and San Francisco Bay begins in your own neighborhood. Pick a Saturday this September from 9:00 am to noon and commit to a socially-distanced cleanup.
Sign up on Eventbrite and learn more about neighborhood cleanup guidelines.
People helping with cleanup efforts in Palo Alto can receive a trash grabber, garbage bags, and gloves, while supplies last.
To have supplies delivered to your residence or work within Palo Alto, or if you find any household hazardous waste such as batteries, pesticides, or other toxic materials, contact cleanbay@cityofpaloalto.org or (650) 329-2122. Please sign up on Eventbrite before contacting us.
Thank you for being an environmental steward and keeping our local creeks clean! For more information visit cleanbay.org.
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