CONTACT: Donna Henry (DDOE) 202.299.3338; [email protected]
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- The District Department of the Environment (DDOE), last week, debuted its Simple Application for qualifying properties to receive discounts on stormwater impervious fees through the RiverSmart Rewards Program. The Simple Application is easier to use than the Standard Application because it does not require specific technical design and site information.
The Simple Application is available for properties that include green infrastructure (GI) and manage 2,000 square feet or less of impervious area. It provides an additional incentive for properties to install GI through RiverSmart Homes or one of DDOE’s other financial incentive programs.
DDOE Director Keith A. Anderson applauded the program, saying, “Our RiverSmart Rewards program incentivizes the installation and maintenance of green infrastructure practices on properties and is critical to moving us closer to a swimmable and fishable Anacostia River, which is an ambitious, though achievable, goal of our Sustainable DC plan.”
RiverSmart Rewards provides a discount of up to 55 percent off the Stormwater Fee for installing green infrastructure (GI) practices that retain stormwater. Properties are charged the fee on their DC Water bill. Those properties that are approved for a RiverSmart Rewards discount will automatically be enrolled in the Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge (IAC) Incentive Program, which offers a discount of up to four percent on the IAC, also assessed on the DC Water bill. Eligible GI practices for both programs include rain gardens, rain barrels, green roofs, and permeable pavement.
Properties that manage more than 2,000 square feet of impervious surface must use the Standard Application to apply for a discount.
Both the Simple and the Standard Applications are available at ddoe.dc.gov/riversmartrewards. Information on other DDOE stormwater incentive programs are available at ddoe.dc.gov/riversmart.
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