Depending on where you live, a variety of financial assistance programs are available.
Easter Lake Watershed Program
About: The Easter Lake Watershed Project is a 10 year project aimed at restoring Easter Lake through in-lake improvements and improvements throughout the watershed. Project partners: City of Des Moines, Polk County Conservation, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship- Division of Soil Conservation, Iowa DNR, and Polk Soil & Water Conservation District have brought together funds for improvements including stormwater best management practices. Residents and businesses throughout the watershed can receive 75% cost-share for installed BMPs.
Cost-share rate: 75%
Eligible Practices: Rain gardens, soil quality restorations, rain barrels, permeable pavement, bio-retention cells, bioswales, native landscaping, and other approved practices in the Iowa Stormwater Management Manual.
Application Process: To receive cost-share, applicants must be approved at a monthly meeting before any installation has been completed. Any landowner wanting to install a BMP in the Easter Lake watershed may apply for cost-share. To do so, they must contact the watershed coordinator who will organize a site visit and help them through the BMP practice approval process.
Contact
Julie Perreault- Watershed Coordinator
Julie.perreault@ia.nacdnet.net
515.964.1883 ext.3
City of Des Moines
About: The City of Des Moines has provided a rebate to property owners that install stormwater BMPs. The City will make a reimbursement for 50% of the cost up to $2,000 to property owners who meet the requirements of their program. Work completed must have been performed and completed between the dates of January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2023 to be eligible.
Cost-share rate: 50% up to $2,000
Eligible Practices: Rain gardens, soil quality restoration, bio-retention cells, permeable pavement, rain barrels, streambank stabilization, other practices approved by the director
Application Process: To receive the stormwater BMP rebate, applications must be approved before work has begun. Property owners must submit the application along with the following list. Applications can be found on the City of Des Moines’ website
- Map/Site plans showing the project location and area treated by the BMP
- Summary/Description of the project
- Project schedule and expected completion date
- Project cost summary or contractor’s estimate
Contact:
515.323.8165
http://www.dmgov.org/Departments/PublicWorks/Pages/Stormwater.aspx?Tab=Stormwater+Overview
City of Johnston
About: The City of Johnston Department of Community Development has created a homeowner grant program to provide funding assistance for stormwater management improvements on single family residential lots. The grant program allocates funds for the cost of materials and associated labor for BMPs at a 50% match rate up to $750.
Cost-share rate: 50% match up to $750.00
Eligible Practices: Rain Gardens, soil quality restoration, bio-retention cells, rain barrels, pervious pavement, native landscaping, buffers, swales, erosion control, etc.
Application Process: Applicants must complete and turn in the grant application to the City of Johnston Department of Community Development. The application must include the following list. Applications can be found on the City of Johnston website.
- Summary/description of the project
- Maps/site plans showing the project location and area treated by the BMPs.
- Project schedule and expected completion date.
- Cost summary and/or contractor’s estimate of the project.
Contact:
Clayton Ender
515.727.7763
http://www.cityofjohnston.com/747/Homeowner-Grant-Program
City of Waukee
About: Through Waukee Public Works, reimbursement for the installation of rain gardens and rain barrels is available for residents. The reimbursement program allocates funds for a 50% match up to $1000 per property. Funding is intended to help cover the cost of materials and/or contract labor.
Cost-share rate: 50% match up to $1000.00
Eligible Practices: rain gardens, bio-retention cells, rain barrels, soil quality restoration
Application Process: Applicants must complete and turn in the grant application to the City of Waukee including the following materials. Application can be found on the City of Waukee website.
- Summary/description of the project.
- Maps/site plans showing the project location and area treated by the BMPs.
- Anticipated construction schedule and expected completion date.
- Cost summary and/or contractor’s estimate of the project.
Contact:
Jenny Corkrean – Stormwater Coordinator
Office: 515-978-7920 Direct: 515-978-7394
Cell: 515-306-8617 Fax: 515-987-3979
http://www.waukee.org/468/Best-Management-Practices-Reimbursement-
City of Ankeny
About: The City of Ankeny provides reimbursement for stormwater BMPs to encourage individual landowners and businesses to incorporate stormwater management on their properties. Funding is intended to offset the costs of materials and/or contract labor of BMP installation at a 50% match up to 1,800 per landowner or business. Funding can be used for multiple practices up to $1,800 and applicants may utilize the program for multiple fiscal years.
Cost-share rate: 50% match up $1,800 per landowner or business
Eligible Practices: Rain garden, soil quality restoration, bio-retention cell, pervious pavement, native planting/buffer/swale, rain barrel
Application Process: Applicants must complete and turn in applications to the City of Ankeny, Public Works Department along with the following materials. Applications and program information can be found on the City of Ankeny website.
- Maps and/or site plans showing the project location and area being treated with BMPs.
- Summary or description of project.
- Cost summary and/or contractor’s estimate for the project.
- Anticipated project schedule and expected completion date.
Contact:
Amy Bryant Jared Bright City of Ankeny, Public Works Department
515.963.3542 515.963.3534 220 West 1st Street
abryant@ankenyiowa.gov jbright@ankenyiowa.gov Ankeny, IA 50023
City of Pleasant Hill
About: The City of Pleasant Hill has created a best management practice reimbursement program for landowners to offset the cost of installing stormwater management improvements. The reimbursement program allocates funds for the cost of materials and associated labor for eligible BMPs at a 50% match up to $750 and for rain barrels at a 50% match up to $75.
Cost-share rate: 50% match up to $75 for rain barrels and 50% match up to $750 for all other eligible BMPs.
Eligible Practices: Rain gardens, soil quality restoration, bio-retention cells, rain barrels, permeable pavement, native landscaping, and other practices approved by the director.
Application Process: To receive the stormwater reimbursement, applications must be approved before work has begun. Property owners must submit the application along with the following list. Applications can be found on the City of Pleasant Hill’s website.
- Maps/site plans showing the project location and area treated by the BMP.
- Summary or description of the project.
- Project schedule and expected completion date.
- Itemized and dated cost summary and/or contractor’s estimates.
Contact:
Chris Widmer
515.309.9463
https://www.pleasanthilliowa.org/354/Reimbursement-Program
Additional Resources
Rainscaping Iowa
Iowa Stormwater Education Partnership
Polk Soil & Water Conservation District
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Watershed-Improvement