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Oakland County’s RainSmart pilot credited with reducing runoff; EPA tentatively awards $745,000 to expand program
Summary
Water Resources staff told commissioners the two‑year RainSmart rebate pilot led to nearly 300 households installing green infrastructure and an estimated 1.4 million gallons of stormwater captured; staff said the EPA has given tentative selection for a $745,000 GLRI grant to expand the program with no local match required.
Lehi Seymour, chief engineer with the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s office, and Stephanie Petrillo, environmental planner with WRC, presented results of a two‑year RainSmart Rebate pilot and a request to expand the program.
Seymour said about 900 people applied over two years, 482 received one‑on‑one site assessments and nearly 300 homeowners installed at least one project, producing roughly 683 individual installations across the district including rain barrels, trees and rain gardens. “We had almost 683 individual rain barrels, trees, and rain gardens installed over 2 years,” Seymour said during the presentation.
Petrillo described program design and incentives: eligible homeowners could receive up to two rain barrels, two trees and a rain garden, with per‑item rebate caps (trees up to $250, rain barrels up to $125, rain gardens $6 per approved square foot) and a per‑property cap of $2,000. Petrillo also called out the program’s equity option: 20% of rebate funding was reserved annually to waive the $25 site assessment fee and have partner organizations purchase and install projects for residents who cannot front costs or perform the work.
On measured outcomes, Petrillo said the program’s installations are estimated to keep about 1,400,000 gallons out of the storm system over the March–November season. “We estimate that we’re keeping 1,400,000 gallons out of the system,” she told commissioners. Seymour added that the pilot prioritized homeowner education and one‑on‑one assessments in partnership with the Clinton River Watershed Council and the Center for Watershed Protection.
Seymour said Michigan’s George W. Q drainage district funded the pilot and that staff worked with state partners to pursue federal support to continue and expand the program. He said the EPA selected the project for tentative funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and that the county submitted a $745,000 request to extend RainSmart for two years and expand service areas beyond the original GWK drainage district. “It is a no match grant,” he said of the GLRI request.
Commissioners asked about outreach, program eligibility for renters (landlord signature required), support for large multi‑unit properties and whether the program had been judged a success. Staff said publicity has relied on social media, local partners and word‑of‑mouth; Petrillo noted the program temporarily closed applications in its first year because of overwhelming demand and characterized the pilot as successful based on participation and awards won. Commissioners encouraged continued outreach under the expanded boundary and moved to receive and file the presentation.
Next steps described by staff included finalizing grant paperwork, beginning outreach if grant funding is finalized, and scheduling site assessments in April if the award is confirmed. The board received and filed the presentation.
