Wichita Rain Barrel Rebate (2026): Up to $100 and How to Hook a Barrel to Your Downspout

The rebate at a glance

Sources: the city's City of Wichita, 2026 Rain Barrel Rebate information (PDF), the City of Wichita, 2026 Water Conservation Rebate application (PDF) and the City of Wichita, Water Conservation Rebate Program page. Program rules can change, and the city reserves the right to amend or end the program without notice, so read the current documents before you buy.

Is it really $100?

It is "up to" $100. The rain barrel information sheet says the rebate will not exceed the actual purchase price of the barrel and excludes taxes and installation. So a barrel that cost $79 before tax would earn at most $79, while a $140 barrel would earn the $100 maximum. The credit goes on your water bill.

The money is also limited. When the city renewed the program on February 2, 2026, it announced $125,000 for the whole Water Conservation Rebate Program, shared by rain barrels, rain sensors, irrigation controllers, drought-tolerant landscaping and water-saving appliances, and said applications would be accepted through December 31, 2026, or until funds are exhausted (City of Wichita, "Water Conservation Rebate Program Renewed for 2026" (Feb. 2, 2026)). By fall, it is worth emailing or calling the rebate office to ask whether money is still available before you buy a barrel just for the rebate.

Who is eligible (and who is not)

• Eligible: a person with an active City of Wichita water account at the installation address, inside the Wichita city limits, whose name matches the account.
• Not eligible: new construction. The application also limits the rebate to Public Works & Utilities water customers within the Wichita city limits, so if you live in Derby, Andover, Maize, Bel Aire, Haysville or another nearby city, ask the rebate office or your own city before buying, even if your water bill mentions Wichita.
• Renters: the name on the application must match the name on the water account, so if the account is in your landlord's name, ask the rebate office how to handle it before you buy.

What kind of barrel qualifies

The city's specifications are short but specific (City of Wichita, 2026 Rain Barrel Rebate information (PDF)):

• New, not recycled, and 45 gallons or larger.
• Algae and UV resistant.
• Not connected to a potable (drinking) water source.
• Installed so that it is safe for children and controls debris and pests such as mosquitoes and rodents. In practice that means a secure lid and screened openings.
• Installed securely above ground. Newly installed or existing cisterns do not qualify.
• The overflow must drain away from the house and other structures so it does not damage foundations.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check the rules and funding. Read the 2026 rain barrel sheet on the City of Wichita, Water Conservation Rebate Program page, and ask the rebate office whether funds remain.
2. Buy a qualifying barrel and keep the receipt. For in-store purchases the city requires the original receipt. For online orders it requires the receipt plus proof of delivery or pickup. Without the receipt the application is denied.
3. Install it. The rebate is for a newly purchased and installed barrel, so set it up before you apply.
4. Apply no later than 90 days after the purchase date. Use the online form linked from the Water Conservation Rebate Program page (also reachable from City of Wichita, Save Wichita Water) and upload the sales invoice. A printable application is also posted; it lists the return address as City of Wichita, PW&U Rebate, 455 N Main, 8th Floor, Wichita, KS 67202, and the email waterrebate@wichita.gov.
5. Watch your water bill. Approved rebates appear as a credit on the account; the application says approval may take up to 8 weeks.

Buying late in the year? The purchase window runs through December 31, 2026, but the application says applications are processed until funding is depleted or December 31, 2026, whichever comes first. If you buy in the fall, apply as soon as the barrel is installed rather than waiting out the full 90 days.

Hooking a rain barrel to a gutter downspout

A rain barrel only works as well as the gutter and downspout feeding it. A few practical points:

• Pick the right downspout. Choose one that drains a decent piece of roof, sits on level ground and is close to where you will use the water, such as a garden bed. Avoid downspouts at the bottom of a valley that floods in heavy rain.
• Diverter or cut-in. Many barrels come with a diverter that fits into the downspout and sends water to the barrel until it is full, then lets the rest flow down the downspout as usual. The other method is to cut the downspout above the barrel and add a flexible elbow; then the barrel's overflow has to carry all the excess.
• Build a solid, level base. Water weighs a little over 8 pounds per gallon, so a full 50-gallon barrel weighs roughly 400 pounds or more. Concrete blocks or pavers on compacted ground keep it from tipping, and raising it makes it easier to fill a watering can from the spigot.
• Send the overflow away from the foundation. The city requires positive drainage away from structures. Clay soils around Wichita swell when wet, and the International Residential Code calls for roof water to be discharged at least 5 feet from foundations where expansive soils exist (ICC, 2018 International Residential Code, Section R801.3 roof drainage). Run an overflow hose or extension out into the yard, not down beside the wall.
• Screen everything. Standing water is where mosquitoes lay eggs (CDC, larvicides and where mosquitoes lay eggs). A tight lid and fine mesh over the inlet and overflow keep them out, which is also what the city's "vector control" rule asks for.
• Think before watering vegetables. EPA notes that rainwater running over a roof can pick up bacteria from birds and animals and chemicals from roofing materials, which is worth considering before using barrel water on edible plants (EPA Soak Up the Rain, rain barrels).

One inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 83 cubic feet of water, or roughly 620 gallons (math illustration: 1,000 sq ft x 1/12 ft x 7.48 gallons per cubic foot). A 50-gallon barrel fills fast, so the overflow route matters more than the barrel itself.

Get the gutters ready first

A barrel fed by a clogged gutter collects little water and a lot of leaf sludge. Before you connect one, make sure the gutter feeding it is clean and draining, especially in fall when leaves are coming down. See having your gutters cleaned and when to clean gutters during Wichita's fall leaf drop. A first-flush diverter or a leaf screen at the top of the downspout helps keep debris out of the barrel.

If the gutters are sagging, leaking or too small to carry a heavy storm, fixing that first makes the barrel far more useful. Moving or adding a downspout to reach a better barrel spot is easiest when gutters are being replaced; see installing new seamless gutters and downspouts and drainage. For other ways to move roof water, read downspout drainage options.

Winter care in Wichita

Wichita's average first fall freeze (32°F) comes around October 25, with a typical range of October 20 to November 4 (NWS Wichita, frost and freeze information). Water that freezes in a barrel or a cut-in downspout can crack plastic and split fittings. Before hard freezes, drain the barrel, leave the spigot open or bring it indoors, and put the downspout back to its normal path so winter rain and snowmelt still drain away from the house.

Related services

• Downspouts & Drainage: Add, upsize or relocate downspouts and carry water away from the foundation.
• Gutter Installation: New seamless gutters and downspouts measured, sized and pitched for your roof.
• Gutter Cleaning: Clear leaves, seeds, shingle grit and clogs from gutters and downspouts, then flush and check them.

Sources: City of Wichita, Water Conservation Rebate Program; City of Wichita, 2026 Rain Barrel Rebate information (PDF); City of Wichita, 2026 Water Conservation Rebate application (PDF); City of Wichita, "Water Conservation Rebate Program Renewed for 2026" (Feb. 2, 2026); City of Wichita, Save Wichita Water; EPA Soak Up the Rain, rain barrels; ICC, 2018 International Residential Code, Section R801.3 roof drainage; CDC, larvicides and where mosquitoes lay eggs; NWS Wichita, frost and freeze information.