How to Get the Permanent Irrigation Reduction Program
City of Hailey Water Division · Wood River Valley, Idaho, ID
What you get
The City of Hailey rebates the lesser of 50 percent of total project cost or $0.25 per gallon of irrigation water reduced, up to $5,000, for permanently removing turf and replacing it with xeriscape or other permeable, non-irrigated area. A minimum 15 percent irrigation reduction is required and the baseline is calculated by City staff from the 2025 irrigation season. Read the repayment terms before applying: the City averages your water use over the following 3 years and bills your water utility account for the full rebate amount if the expected reduction is not achieved, and if the property sells within those 3 years the annual prorated share is returned to the City at closing. City staff must confirm enrollment before work begins, and projects must be completed between May 1 and October 22, 2026 (City of Hailey, Water Conservation Programs; last verified August 2026).
- Residential: 50% of project cost or $0.25 per gallon reduced, whichever is lower, up to $5,000
Are you eligible?
- Be a City of Hailey Water Division customer
- Property located in: Hailey
- City of Hailey water utility account (the application requires a Utility Billing Account Number)
- Minimum 15% irrigation reduction, measured against a City-calculated 2025 baseline
- City staff must confirm enrollment before work begins; submitting an interest form alone does not enroll you
- Project completed between May 1 and October 22, 2026
- If the reduction is not achieved over the following 3 years, the City bills your water utility account for the rebate amount
- If the property is sold within 3 years, the annual prorated share of the rebate is returned to the City at closing
Before you start
Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.
Application window: Projects must be completed between May 1 and October 22, 2026. Rolling enrollment in the order applications are received.
Found during the 2026-08-10 discovery sweep. Independently re-verified against the City page. Three things deliberately reflected in the copy above. (1) The City page says the City "may rebate", not "will rebate", and staff evaluate applicants against a scoring matrix described in future tense and not published, so admission is screened even though the amount itself is formula-determined. (2) Eligible replacement is "xeriscape or other permeable, non-irrigated areas", so a qualifying project does not strictly require planting; the entry is categorised turf-conversion only, not native-landscaping. (3) The 3-year clawback and the sale-before-3-years repayment are both verbatim from the City page and are surfaced in coverageDetails rather than buried, because they can leave a homeowner billed after the fact. Hailey also runs two separate programs that are out of scope and were rejected: an irrigation audit rebate (up to $150) and a seasonal Irrigation Season Reduction bill credit (up to $500) that pays for metered reduction by any means.
What applying usually looks like
A general guide. Always confirm the exact steps on the official program page, since each provider runs its process a little differently.
- 1
Apply and get written approval first
Submit your application to City of Hailey Water Division and wait for written approval before you remove any turf or start work. Starting early is the most common reason a rebate is denied.
- 2
Do the conversion
Replace your lawn with the qualifying landscaping, following the eligibility requirements above.
- 3
Submit your claim
After the work is done, submit your claim on the official program page. Confirm the exact forms, receipts, and any photos they require there, since those vary by program.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Permanent Irrigation Reduction Program
These are the steps this application actually takes. The Pollinator Patch app walks you through each one free, with reminders and a photo locker.
- 1
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with City of Hailey Water Division before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with City of Hailey Water Division 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 Hailey Water Division the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
In the app
Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Permanent Irrigation Reduction Program, warnings before the mistakes that disqualify applications, and a photo locker that keeps your before and after photos, receipts, and notes together for the months a rebate takes.
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.