How to Get the Stormwater Utility Credit (Rain Garden) Rebate
City of Appleton Department of Public Works · Fox Valley, northeast Wisconsin, WI
What you get
The City of Appleton credits $25 a year against the stormwater utility bill for a single-family or two-family property with an onsite rain garden. The credit runs for 3 years, after which a new application may be submitted. The rain garden must receive runoff from at least a quarter of the impervious surfaces on the site and be built to Wisconsin DNR Publication PUB-WI-776 standards. This is a modest ongoing bill credit rather than a cash rebate for the install (City of Appleton Stormwater Utility Credit Policy; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: $25 a year off the stormwater utility bill
Are you eligible?
- Be a City of Appleton Department of Public Works customer
- Property located in: Appleton
- Single-family or two-family residential property in Appleton
- Rain garden receiving runoff from at least one quarter of the site impervious surfaces
- Built and maintained to WDNR PUB-WI-776 (Rain Gardens: A How-To Manual for Homeowners)
- Scaled site plan, photo of the practice, and plant list with sizing calculations
- City inspection; credit expires after 3 years and may be reapplied for
The application checklist
How to apply for the Stormwater Utility Credit (Rain Garden)
These are the steps this application actually takes.
- 1
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with City of Appleton Department of Public Works before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with City of Appleton Department of Public Works and take before photos of the existing yard first.
- 3
Do the work
Complete the project, take before and after photos, and save every receipt.
- 4
Submit your application
Send City of Appleton Department of Public Works the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
Get help applying
Want a hand with the application?
A 30-minute call with Stephen, the founder. He reads the Stormwater Utility Credit (Rain Garden) rules with you, tells you what to photograph and file first, and answers anything this page does not cover.
Confirm your project ZIP first. If this program does not serve your address, do not buy; check your city or utility on the rebates page instead.
One-time $29.99. Guidance, not filing: you submit to the program yourself. Not legal or financial advice. Rebate amounts and approval are decided by the program.
Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.
See a problem with a program? Report it
Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.
What people report after they apply
We ask people who filed Stormwater Utility Credit (Rain Garden) whether it was approved, what they were paid, and how many days it took. A public payout time appears here only after 5 reports include a day count. Your dollar amount is stored and is not published on this page.