information from King County

Wondering if a rain garden or cistern is right for you? Join King County and Seattle Public Utilities for a RainWise Program “Meet the Contractor" open house on Sunday, April 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the West Seattle Nursery, 5275 California Ave S.W.

The RainWise Program offers eligible Seattle homeowners rebates that could cover up to 100 percent of the cost to install a rain garden and/or cistern. The average rebate is $4,500.

Rain gardens are more than just beautiful to look at. They help solve one of the largest sources of pollution for Puget Sound by naturally cleaning and controlling stormwater. Cisterns are large rain barrels that collect runoff from rooftops, which homeowners can use for watering yards and landscaping.

The RainWise Program serves a number of Seattle neighborhoods. To receive a rebate, residents must live in an eligible Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) basin.

By encouraging eligible Seattle residents to manage stormwater runoff through the RainWise Program, King County and Seattle Public Utilities can meet their goals to reduce CSOs that occur in local water bodies during heavy rains.

For more information about the program or other events, call the Garden Hotline at 206-633-0224 or visit to www.rainwise.seattle/gov.