Rebate Program

The City of Cottage Grove is offering rebates to residents for purchasing water saving toilets, dishwashers, and washing machines. As part of the city’s water conservation program, grants of up to $100 for toilets, $200 for dishwashers and $300 for washing machines will be offered.

Eligible devices can be found in the links below:

• Dishwashers
• Toilets
• Washing machines

Eligibility rules:

1. To qualify for a rebate, your home, business, school, church, non-profit or apartment building must receive water from the Cottage Grove municipal system.
2. New houses and new developments are not eligible for this program. This rebate program is only for water-saving replacement toilets, dishwashers and washing machines. 
3. Only pre-tax expenses of the device and installation are eligible for reimbursement. Owners cannot be reimbursed for their own labor.
4. Copies of receipts or invoices must be uploaded with your rebate application. The following must be shown on the receipt or invoice:
   1. Make and model of the toilet, dishwasher or washing machine
   2. Pre-tax costs of the device and installation
   3. Date of purchase
5. Purchases eligible for a rebate must have occurred no earlier than July 1, 2022.
6. Rebates will be paid up to 50% of the pre-tax costs not to exceed $100 for toilets, $200 for dishwashers, and $300 for washing machines. 

You can fill out the rebate application here. If your application is approved, a check will be sent in 7 to 10 days. 

Contact Jared Juth at 651-458-2829 or jjuth@cottagegrovemn.gov with questions.

Background

Cottage Grove supplies water to its residents, businesses, schools, churches, and non-profits by pumping groundwater out of aquifers. On average, the daily volume of water used in Cottage Grove is approximately 3.4 million gallons – about 75 gallons per person every day.

In the summer during a dry spell, Cottage Grove water use has jumped as high as 11.5 million gallons of water in a single day. This day is called the day of maximum demand.

City water infrastructure – including pumps, water treatment plants and watermains – is built and maintained for the day of maximum demand.

The city wants to keep the maximum day water demand as low as possible. As the maximum demand rises, the city must expand its water capacity by adding pumps, installing larger water main, and expanding water treatment facilities. Encouraging municipal water users to install more efficient appliances and toilets helps keep the demand lower. The city also has a program in the spring to provide water-saving lawn irrigation controllers at below-market cost.

A grant from the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, through funding from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, makes this rebate program possible. This program will run through June of 2024 or until funds are exhausted.