ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Water began its Water Wise program 5 years ago, with a goal of conserving one million gallons per day, which the agency reached for the first time last month, according to Demand Management Program Manager Amelia Brown.

What You Need To Know

The Tampa Bay Water Wise program, which began in 2020, reached its goal last month of saving one million gallons per day

The agency said hotels and apartment buildings enrolled in the program have contributed the most to the water saved 

The owner of the Quality Inn in St. Petersburg said the water-efficient fixtures have saved his business about $10,000 over the past few months 

Tampa Bay Water offers a variety of rebates which cover between 20 to 50 percent of larger project costs

“We’ve achieved a significant milestone of saving over a million gallons of water per day, every day, from all the rebates that we’ve issued,” she said. “It’s important to save water because that leaves more water in the natural environment, and it also saves customers money.”

Brown said hotels and apartment buildings have contributed the most to the water saved, but homeowners also play an important role.

“They can save water through replacing their toilets and through the rebates available for their outdoor sprinkler systems as well,” she said. “In a home, 50 percent or more of the water use can be used outdoors just to water your yard.”

The owner of the Quality Inn in St. Petersburg, John Moradi, said he enrolled in the program over the summer and had water-efficient fixtures installed in all 75 guest rooms. Moradi said the hotel conserves about 80,000 gallons per month, which has saved the business about $10,000 over the past few months.

Moradi said he plans to enroll a larger hotel he owns, the Comfort Inn, into the Water Wise program too.

“We have 118 rooms there,” he said. “We want to pass this saving to that property as well.” 

Moradi said at first he was a little worried about the potential flow from the water-efficient showerhead but discovered it works well.

“The technology has been improved,” he said. “It’s not blocking in any water flow… we don’t have any complaints.”

Brown said Tampa Bay Water offers a variety of rebates which cover between 20 to 50 percent of larger project costs. The agency recently doubled its rebates for toilets. Homeowners are eligible for up to $100 for WaterSense labeled toilets with proof of installation or up to $200 for replacing older 3.5 gallons-per-flush models or installing ultra-efficient 0.8 gpf toilets. 

For multi-family and commercial properties, rebates range from $100 to $200 per fixture, depending on the level of water savings achieved.

The increased rebate amounts for homeowners run from this month through May 2026, with applications due no later than June 30, 2026. Commercial and multi-family rebates are available for qualifying installations completed between Sept. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2026.

“Whether you’re a business owner or a homeowner, we want more customers to participate in this program,” said Brown. “It’s a limited-time offer. So we hope that they’ll take advantage of this opportunity to save even more money and water.”

Tampa Bay Water has a new goal of conserving nearly 4 million gallons by 2030.