The short version

This is a recurring credit off your stormwater utility bill, not a one-time cash rebate: the City of Waynesboro credits up to 50 percent of the annual fee for qualifying stormwater practices (waynesboro.va.us).

Each Level 1 practice (like a simple rain garden) earns 10 percent off the bill; each Level 2 practice earns 20 percent, and credits can stack up to the 50 percent cap.

A Level 2 practice needs a licensed designer's signature and stamp on the application.

The credit runs for a 5 year term, and the homeowner is responsible for maintaining the practice for that period.

The City of Waynesboro credits up to 50 percent off a homeowner's annual stormwater utility fee for installing rain gardens, native plantings, or other qualifying stormwater practices, running for a five-year term.

Key takeaways

This is a recurring credit off your stormwater bill, not a one-time cash rebate: up to 50 percent off the annual fee (waynesboro.va.us).
Each Level 1 practice earns 10 percent off the bill; each Level 2 practice earns 20 percent, stacking to the 50 percent cap.
A Level 2 practice needs a licensed designer's signature and stamp on the application.
The credit runs for a five-year term, and the homeowner maintains the practice for that period.

How the Waynesboro stormwater credit works

The City of Waynesboro's Single-Family Residential Stormwater Utility Fee Credit reduces a homeowner's annual stormwater bill, up to 50 percent off, for installing qualifying stormwater management practices such as rain gardens or native plantings that reduce runoff. Practices are rated Level 1 or Level 2: a Level 1 practice earns a 10 percent credit, a Level 2 practice earns 20 percent, and credits from multiple practices stack up to the 50 percent maximum. A Level 2 practice requires a licensed designer's signature and stamp on the credit application.

This is worth stating plainly since it is easy to misread as a rebate: the city is not writing a check for the project. It is reducing a recurring utility charge for as long as the practice is maintained, over a five-year credit term. The homeowner is responsible for keeping the practice in working order for that period; letting it lapse can affect the credit.

Who this program is for

The credit is open to single-family residential properties in Waynesboro, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. The application form is free to file. Homeowners considering a simple, single Level 1 practice like a small rain garden can apply directly; anyone planning a Level 2 practice should budget for a designer's involvement as part of the application, not just the install.

See the Virginia rebates page for the application form and program details.