How to Get the Stormwater Incentive Program
Village of Wilmette · North Shore, Cook County, IL
What you get
A one-time incentive of 50% of construction cost, up to $3,500, for installing an eligible rain garden or bioretention system (Group A). Any Wilmette property owner may apply, first-come, first-served against the annual program budget ($40,000 for 2026). A permit must be issued before installation begins (Village of Wilmette; last verified June 2026).
- Residential: 50% of construction cost, up to $3,500 (rain gardens / bioretention)
Are you eligible?
- Be a Village of Wilmette customer
- Property located in: Wilmette
- Property in the Village of Wilmette
- Eligible Group A improvement: rain garden / bioretention / bioswale
- Permit applied for and issued before installation begins
- Submit the permit application and acknowledgement form with site plan, scope, and cost estimate; first-come, first-served
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.
Group B ($5,000) is sewer disconnection (sump-pump/downspout/yard-drain), not native planting, so the rain-garden figure is the Group A $3,500. Wilmette also has a separate recurring stormwater credit, not included here.
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 Village of Wilmette 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.
We compile these programs from utility and city pages, and not every amount here has been independently confirmed. Program details also change throughout the year. Always verify requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with your water utility 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.