Water Conservation & Reuse Grants - DEP

Environmental Protection


Water Conservation

Water Conservation & Reuse Grants


Our Water Conservation and Reuse Grant Pilot Program provides commercial, industrial, and multi-family residential property owners with incentives to install fixture retrofits and other water efficiency technologies, such as on-site water reuse systems, totaling $50,000 or more on a single private property.

Contact waterconservation@dep.nyc.gov for any program inquiries.

Download the Water Reuse Fact Sheet

Download the Water Conservation and Reuse Grant One-pager

Download the Water Conservation and Reuse Grant Information Session Presentation

Eligible Funding

Eligible Costs
Conditions
Grant Funding Amount

Equipment Costs
WaterSense® certified fixture replacements
Fixed maximum unit price; see table below

Custom Water Efficiency Retrofits
$10 per gallon per day (gpd) water savings achieved, up to 100% of documented equipment costs.

Facility Water Use Survey, and Design Services
Includes third-party costs for facility water use survey and any associated design services required in development of the application.
Up to 20% of total equipment costs

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Available Grants

Please read the eligibility requirements thoroughly. Currently, approximately $1 million is available; however additional funding may be made available if sufficient demand is demonstrated.

Items eligible for reimbursement include: documented equipment costs, including materials and supplies; third-party costs for a facility water use survey; and third-party costs for design services as detailed in the tables below.

Fixed Maximum Unit Prices for WaterSense® Certified Fixture Replacements

Fixture
WaterSense® Specification
Maximum DEP Rebate Rates ($/fixture)

Residential Toilets (Tank or Flushometer)
less than 1.6 gallons per flush
$125

Showerheads
less than 2.0 gallons per minute
$45

Bathroom Sink Aerators
less than 1.5 gallons per minute
$3

Commercial Toilets (Flushometer)
less than 1.28 gallons per flush
$650

Urinals
less than 0.5 gallons per flush
$600

Application Process

Applications may be submitted at any time and, pending funding availability, may be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please email waterconservation@dep.nyc.gov prior to applying.

The following must be submitted for the application to be considered:

Application Form
Interested applicants should read through the Grant Application Guide, sample Funding Agreement and Restrictive Covenant before applying.

Download the Grant Application Guide and Application Form

Download the Grant Funding Agreement (sample)

Download the Declaration of Restrictive Covenant (sample)

Documentation of Current or Future Water Demand and Potential Savings
Quantifying water use is an important step in identifying potential savings opportunities. We request that each property’s current water use be documented in the following ways:

Water Savings Type
Required Documentation

Equipment retrofits or replacements, excluding onsite water reuse, in a single existing building
Must submit a Facility Water Use Survey* for each building

Equipment retrofits or replacements, including onsite water reuse, in an existing building
Must submit a Facility Water Use Survey* for each building, and a completed On-site Water Reuse Calculator** for only those buildings with proposed onsite water reuse projects.

An on-site water reuse system in new construction
Must submit a completed On-site Water Reuse Calculator**

Facility Water Use Survey*

The Facility Water Use Survey must include:

General Building Information

Water Use Information

Interior Water Use

Exterior Water Use

Comprehensive List of Potential Water Saving Measures

Visit the United State Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense® Tools for Commercial and Institutional Facilities for guidance and resources for conducting a water assessment of commercial and institutional facilities. Participants using the tools should recognize that additional documentation may be required to fulfill all the requirements. Applicants should also be aware that they may conduct the facility water use survey themselves, but if selected for a grant, we will only reimburse third-party facility water use survey costs.

On-site Water Reuse Calculator**

Download the Building-Scale Calculator (XLS)

Download the District-Scale Calculator (XLSX)

Project Budget

Schedule

Maintenance Plan (Onsite Water Reuse Systems Only)

Work Plan
The Project Work Plan must fully describe the scope of work, including:

Project Summary

Estimated Water Savings Potential

Water and Wastewater Rate Discounts

DEP offers a 25% water fee discount to customers who install water reuse systems that reduce the building’s water consumption by at least 25%. A 76% wastewater fee discount is also offered for properties that discharge less than 25% of their flow. View the following sections of the current Water and Wastewater Rate Schedule for more information about how to obtain and receive a water and wastewater rate discount:

Property Connected to the Sewage Network Also Served by a Private Wastewater Treatment Plant (Part III—Section 6)

Comprehensive Water Reuse (Part IV—Section 6)

Buildings with successful on-site water reuse systems are also eligible for the Comprehensive Water Reuse Program. Download the Comprehensive Water Reuse Program Application.

Resilient NYC Partners

Funding for properties to install green infrastructure to manage stormwater on site.

Green Infrastructure Grant Program

Green roof retrofit funding for private property owners in New York City.

Rain Barrel Giveaway Program

We partner with elected officials to organize distribution events throughout New York City.

Unified Stormwater Rule

A comprehensive, citywide stormwater management policy for new & redevelopment properties in NYC.