Key Biscayne homeowners and HOAs are leaving money on the table if they haven't signed up for Miami-Dade County's irrigation rebate program, which pays single-family homeowners up to $500 a year and large-property owners up to $2,850 per property for water-saving upgrades.
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department's Landscape Irrigation Rebate Program offers free irrigation evaluations that identify where systems waste water. Single-family homeowners who follow through on the recommendations can collect up to $500 annually for up to five years. HOAs, hotels and commercial properties qualify for the higher tier of up to $2,850 per property, according to the county's July 27 announcement.
The numbers add up. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average American household uses about 30% of its water outdoors. The county's announcement cites industry estimates that as much as half of landscape irrigation water is lost to evaporation, wind or overwatering.
Program saved 116,000 gallons per day in 2025
WASD Director Jay J. Fink said participants in the county's conservation rebate programs saved more than 116,000 gallons of water per day in 2025. Since the department launched its Comprehensive Conservation Program in 2007, countywide water demand has dropped by approximately 9 million gallons per day even as the population grew. Average per capita use fell from 153 to 139 gallons per day over that 18-year span, according to WASD.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in the July 27 announcement that residents can help protect Biscayne Bay by making "small adjustments to how and when we irrigate our landscapes and by avoiding the use of fertilizers during the rainy season."
Fertilizer ban protects Biscayne Bay through Oct. 31
Miami-Dade County's seasonal fertilizer ban has been in effect since Friday, May 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. The regulation prohibits certain fertilizers during the rainy season to keep nutrients from washing into Biscayne Bay.
Fink said applying fertilizers during the rainy season or while watering the lawn increases the chances of nutrients being washed into local waterways, especially Biscayne Bay. The ban applies to Key Biscayne, Coconut Grove and all of unincorporated Miami-Dade.
Other rebates available
WASD also offers indoor rebates for high-efficiency toilets and showerheads, plus a Rain Barrel Rebate Program for residents who complete a virtual workshop on rainwater harvesting and purchase a qualifying barrel.
Residents can view the county's landscape irrigation schedule and apply for rebates at miamidade.gov/global/water/home.page. The irrigation rebate program accepts applications on a rolling basis with no announced deadline.
