Toilets account for nearly 30% of an average home's indoor water use. Older toilets can use as much as 6 gallons of water per flush (gpf) and are a major source of wasted water in many homes.

The City will award rebates of $100 per toilet to drinking water customers that replace up to 2 old toilets with new, efficient, MaP PREMIUM rated toilets. The MaP PREMIUM certification ensures that toilets are not only water efficient but have high flush performance – limiting wasteful double flushes! A list of Rebate-eligible Toilets is available on the MaP PREMIUM website. 

The toilet(s) being replaced must use 1.6 or more gallons per flush (gpf). For most toilets, this information is stamped on the back wall of the tank, behind the seat, or on the underside of the tank lid. 

To claim a rebate:

1. Review the rebate application form and all information and eligibility criteria.
2. Purchase and install an eligible product(s). Keep your receipt!
3. Within 90 days of installation, submit a rebate application online: Water Efficient Toilet Rebate Application
4. Receive your rebate within 60 days of submitting the application.

Rebates can be issued as a utility bill credit or via check and will be issued to the utility billing account holder. If someone else purchased the eligible item, contact WaterConservation@ci.tumwater.wa.us before applying.

Customers are eligible for up to two toilet rebates per installation address.

Where to dispose of old toilets?  Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center

ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers use about 20% less energy and about 30% less water than regular washers- that means savings on your water and energy bills!

The City will award a $100 rebate to households that replace a clothes washing machine that is not ENERGY STAR certified with a certified model. A $100 bonus (total rebate of $200) is available if the new washing machine is on the current ENERGY STAR Most Efficient list. A list of Rebate-eligible Washing Machines is available on the ENERGYSTAR website.

To claim a rebate:

1. Review the rebate application form and all information and eligibility criteria.
2. Purchase and install an eligible product(s). Keep your receipt!
3. Within 90 days of installation, submit a rebate application online: ENERGY STAR Washing Machine Rebate Application
4. Receive your rebate within 60 days of submitting the application.

Rebates can be issued as a utility bill credit or via check and will be issued to the utility billing account holder. If someone else purchased the eligible item, contact WaterConservation@ci.tumwater.wa.us before applying. 

Residential customers are eligible for one washing machine rebate per installation address.

For information only: PSE electric customers that purchase an ENERGY STAR certified front-loading clothes washer may be eligible for an additional rebate through PSE. This program is not run by the City of Tumwater, please visit the PSE website for all information and eligibility criteria.

City of Tumwater residential water customers can earn up to a $200 rebate for replacing or retrofitting a standard clock-timer irrigation controller with a smart device that is WaterSense certified by the EPA. WaterSense certified controllers use local weather or soil moisture data to ensure that your irrigation system provides enough, but not too much, water for your landscape. This upgrade can result in a 15-40% reduction in water use for irrigation!

The rebate amount available is the full purchase price of an eligible controller (including tax), up to $100. Customers that have their controller installed by a landscape irrigation professional can instead receive a rebate of 50% of the purchase and installation cost, up to $200. A list of rebate-eligible controller models is available on the EPA WaterSense website. 

To claim a rebate:

1. Review all information and eligibility criteria above.
2. Purchase and install an eligible controller. Keep your receipt!
3. Within 90 days of installation, submit a rebate application online: Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate Application
4. Receive your rebate within 60 days of submitting the application.

Rebates can be issued as a utility bill credit or via check and will be issued to the utility billing account holder. If someone else purchased the eligible item, contact WaterConservation@ci.tumwater.wa.us before applying.

Residential customers are eligible to receive a rebate for one irrigation controller upgrade per installation address.

The City of Tumwater provides Water Conservation Kits free of charge to drinking water customers to support responsible water use both indoors and outdoors. Review included items below and stop by City Hall to pick up your free supplies in person, no application or appointment is needed.

Pick-up Location: Tumwater City Hall, 555 Israel Rd, Tumwater

Pick-up Hours: 8 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday

To request Water Conservation Kits for a group, contact WaterConservation@ci.tumwater.wa.us

Indoor Water Conservation Kit

• Chrome WaterSense Showerhead
• Chrome Water Efficient Faucet Aerators
• Teflon Pipe Tape
• Toilet Leak Detection Tablets

Outdoor Water Conservation Kit

This outdoor water conservation kit includes tools to help you water your landscape efficiently. Remember that a lawn only needs about one inch of water per week – either from rain or watering! Customers looking to improve the water efficiency of an in-ground irrigation system should refer to the Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate program above.

• Hose Timer
• Rain Gauge
• Water Efficient Hose Nozzle
• Soil Moisture Meter

Toilet Leak Detection Tablets

Test your toilet for leaks! Drop a dye tablet into your toilet tank and wait 5 to 10 minutes without flushing. If color is observed in the toilet bowl, the flapper or flush valve seal is leaking and needs to be replaced. Replacing a leaky toilet flapper is a quick and easy fix that will save water and money. 

Tumwater neighborhoods can receive a free compost dumpster (up to 40-yards) to help them implement their storm facility maintenance program. These dumpsters are approved for the disposal of non-invasive vegetation associated with stormwater facility maintenance activities.

Compost Dumpster Application

Pet waste stations are available for free to homeowners’ associations, neighborhood associations, multifamily housing complexes, and other approved community areas. Each pet waste station consists of a durable plastic dispenser, instructional sign, and a free set of bags.  

Pet Waste Station Application

Learn how to remain in compliance while managing your private stormwater systems (i.e., ponds, swales, catch basins, etc.), receive City and County staff-developed Best Management Practices (BMPs), and access resources for inspections and maintenance! 

The online course is currently open for registration and will remain open to the community year-round. It is a go-at-your-own-pace model for increased accessibility with no time limits.

Private Stormwater Systems Inspections & Maintenance Course

The Septic to Sewer Conversion Incentive Program offers partial rebates of the sanitary sewer connection fee to encourage conversion of a septic system to the sewer system within Tumwater’s service area. The City of Tumwater program began in early 2022 to complement the existing LOTT Clean Water Alliance conversion rebate program that has been operating since 2017.

Applicants can now apply for both a rebate on City and LOTT connection fees. To apply for both programs, you must fill out two applications, one for LOTT and one for the City.

LOTT Septic to Sewer Rebate Application

  City of Tumwater Septic to Sewer Rebate Application 

Rebates are two-tiered

1. Property owners abandoning an existing on-site septic system and connecting to the City’s wastewater system are eligible for a rebate of 50% of the Sanitary Sewer connection fee.
2. Property owners who meet the criteria for hardship status, as determined by the City’s Lifeline Program, are eligible for an additional 25% connection fee rebate. More details and to apply for the Lifeline program, visit the Lifeline program page.

To be eligible for a rebate

1. The property must be converting from an existing septic system and connecting to the City sewer system;
2. Septic abandonment and sewer connection must follow all applicable rules and regulations as outlined by the local Board of Health, Thurston County, and the City;
3. Only existing ERUs are subject to rebate. In cases where the converting property is or has undergone a change of use that will result in an increase in ERUs, the additional ERUs are not eligible for rebate.