Frequently Asked Questions

Water Sensible is the Honolulu BWS’ water conservation program. It is made up of rebates and other programs to engage customers, businesses, organizations, and visitors in conserving our most precious resource.

Residential Rebates

The BWS encourages residential customers to conserve water by offering the following rebates for the purchase of new eligible products:

• EPA WaterSense® weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC): 50% of pre-tax purchase price, up to $100
• Energy Star® clothes washer for a water-efficient model: $75
• Residential rain barrel: $40

Commercial Rebates

The BWS encourages non-residential customers to conserve by offering a range of rebates for the purchase of new landscape, commercial kitchen, and plumbing products:

• EPA WaterSense® weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC): $100
• EPA WaterSense® Soil Moisture Sensor: up to $35
• Commercial rain barrel/tote: $150
• EPA WaterSense® fixed or handheld showerheads: up to $30
• EPA WaterSense® swivel and faucet aerators: up to $10
• EPA WaterSense® toilet: $45
• EPA WaterSense® urinal: $50
• Energy Star® Commercial clothes washer: $75
• EPA WaterSense® Pre-rinse spray valve: up to $50
• Water Efficient Dipper Well: $75
• Energy Star® Commercial dishwasher: $250

Energy Star® Commercial Batch type ice machine: $100

• Purchase the eligible item.

• Submit the completed rebate form and supporting documentation (copy of itemized receipt or invoice and W-9 for rebates totaling $600 or more) in one of two ways:

• Online: Email the completed form and a scanned copy of the sales receipt to: watersensible@honeywell.com 

• By mail: Mail the completed form and copy of the sales receipt to:

Board of Water Supply 
Water Sensible Rebate Program
P.O. Box 1440
Honolulu HI 96806

The rebate application must be turned in within 60 days of the date of purchase.

Rebates for this program are available while funding lasts.

Rebates are available while annual funding lasts. If needed, the program may delay rebate payment near the end of year till annual funding is available. The Water Sensible Customer Care team will notify you in this case.

Applications may be declined for the following reasons:

• Missing information on the rebate application
• Missing copy of receipt or invoice
• Receipt is not itemized
• Missing or invalid BWS account number
• Products are not eligible (ex. Product is not Energy Star® or EPA WaterSense®.)

The Water Sensible Customer Care team will reach out via email, mail, or phone to collect missing information.

Rebate applications must include copy of receipts or invoices to be processed. Original receipts or invoices will not be returned to the customer after processing.

Yes, limits apply for each product but they can be waived on a case by case basis depending on funding availability. We encourage customers to send applications even if limits are surpassed.

To qualify for the Board of Water Supply’s rebate, all clothes washers, commercial dishwashers, and commercial batch type ice machines MUST be ENERGY STAR® models to qualify for the rebate. Be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR® on the machine and/or paperwork before sending in your rebate application.

To qualify for the Board of Water Supply’s rebate, all WBICs, soil moisture sensors, showerheads, aerators, toilets, urinals, and pre-rinse spray valves  must be EPA WaterSense® labeled. Products that are not EPA WaterSense® labeled do not qualify for the BWS rebate. Be sure to look for the EPA WaterSense® logo on the product and/or paperwork before sending in your rebate application.

You can expect payment within 6-8 weeks.  For faster processing, email submissions are recommended. Email completed applications and supporting documents to watersensible@honeywell.com.

Only Honolulu Board of Water Supply customers are eligible for rebates. Residential and commercial renters and HOA / AOAO residents can redeem rebates by providing BWS account number on Step 1 of the application, and listing their own name and contact info in Step 2 of the application.

You can email watersensible@honeywell.com or call (808) 237-6877.

The BWS hopes that these rebates may motivate customers to take the extra step so they can further reduce their home water use, take control of their household costs, and conserve our precious water resources.

To qualify for the residential rebate, the applicant must be:

• A residential account holder with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, or
• A tenant of a multi-family account holder (apartment, residential condominium, or townhome) of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.

Customers that don't directly pay their water bill and don't have a Board of Water Supply account, may still qualify for the rebates. If the water bill is paid through a different entity (i.e. AOAO, Condo, Rental Unit or military base) please contact them to identify the account number and include it in step 1 of the rebate application.

Yes, residents can apply for rebates with the property’s BWS account number. Ask your property manager or email watersensible@honeywell.com or call (808) 237-6877 for assistance with locating your BWS account number.

Lists of local retail outlets that sell eligible residential products on island are available on the BWS's website at www.boardofwatersupply.com/rebates. Eligible products can also be purchased online through a wide variety of retailers.

• Purchase the qualifying item.
• Submit the completed rebate form and supporting documentation in one of two ways:
  • Hard copy: Mail the completed form and the sales receipt to:
    Board of Water Supply Water Sensible Rebate Program
    P.O. Box 1440
    Honolulu HI 96806
  • Online: Email the completed form and a scanned copy of the sales receipt to: watersensible@honeywell.com

Rebates are available for swapping out an existing regular clothes washer for a water-efficient model or for the purchase and installation of a residential rain barrel or WBIC (weather-based irrigation controller). As long as your purchase was made within 60 days of the purchase, you may qualify for a rebate.

Your purchase of a new efficient clothes washer would be considered eligible if your rebate application is postmarked within 60 days of the purchase date. 

Customers that don't directly pay their water bill and don't have a Board of Water Supply account, may still qualify for the rebates. If the water bill is paid through a different entity (i.e. AOAO, Condo, Rental Unit or military base) please contact them to identify the account number and include it in step 1 of the rebate application. 

The BWS rebate program does not include a haul away component for eligibility on the washer rebate.

A weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC) uses current weather data to adjust and control the timing and duration of the irrigation system’s operation, whereas a standard irrigation controller is schedule based.  During cool, wet or windy weather, a weather-based irrigation controller reduces irrigation frequency and duration; during warm or dry weather, it increases the frequency and duration.

A weather-based irrigation controller uses local evapotranspiration (ET) real-time data to determine irrigation schedules. Simply put, ET is the water that evaporates from the ground surface and transpires from plant leaves. Factors such as wind, humidity, temperature, and sunlight affect ET numbers and plant irrigation needs. Using ET data, the weather-based irrigation controller will lengthen or shorten irrigation time as needed.  

Weather-based irrigation controllers can save up to 7,600 gallons of water per year.

Qualifying for the rebate is not dependent on having a licensed professional install the product. You can do the installation yourself by reading and completely following the manufacturer’s instructions. It is critical to correctly program the controller to achieve water savings. To get the best possible benefits from your weather based irrigation controller, installation by a licensed professional is recommended but not required.

The rebate for the purchase of an EPA WaterSense® labeled weather based irrigation controller is 50% of the cost of the controller, up to $100. 

Customers are limited to one WBIC rebate per BWS account.

Many of the products are available at local retail outlets listed on the BWS's website at www.boardofwatersupply.com/rebates. Eligible products can also be purchased online through a wide variety of retailers and directly through distributors for more specialized items. 

Honolulu BWS Commercial, MFR (multi-family residential), Agriculture, and Irrigation-Only customers are eligible for commercial rebates.

Any non-residential customer with landscape, plumbing, and/or commercial kitchen needs would benefit from these rebates.

Rebate quantity limits:

• EPA WaterSense® weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC): 5
• EPA WaterSense® Soil Moisture Sensor: 10
• Commercial rain barrel/tote: 2
• EPA WaterSense® fixed or handheld showerheads: 10
• EPA WaterSense® swivel and faucet aerators: 10
• EPA WaterSense® toilet: 10
• EPA WaterSense® urinal: 10
• Energy Star® Commercial clothes washer: 10
• EPA WaterSense® Pre-rinse spray valve: 5
• Water Efficient Dipper Well: 5
• Energy Star® Commercial dishwasher: 1
• Energy Star® Commercial Batch type ice machine: 1

Limits can be waived by the program on a case-by-case basis.

Customers that receive $600 or more for rebates in a single year may be asked to submit IRS Form W-9 with their application for processing of the IRS form 1099. The Program may forward a copy of the IRS Form 1099 to the applicant at the end of the calendar year, should IRS Form 1099 apply.

If you receive $600 or more in rebates in a single year, we are required to comply and report this information to the IRS. You may receive an IRS Form 1099 showing tax eligible rebate/incentive.

Yes, contractors can apply for rebates as a payee if the customer’s BWS account number is provided on the rebate application. Rebate limits are applied per BWS account number.

In a centralized air condition system, the cooling tower is one of several pieces of equipment that removes heat from a building. Cold water is used to cool the air to control the temperature in different rooms. In order to cool the air, the cold water absorbs some of the heat from the air which makes the air cool and the water warmer. The heat added to the water is then released into the open air outside the building through the cooling tower.

It depends on the size of the building, but for reference a high rise condominium can use over 10,000 gallons per day while smaller commercial buildings may use several thousand gallons per day.

The heat that is transferred out of the building is collected in cooling water. To keep the water cool, it comes in contact with the air while inside the cooling tower. This process results in evaporation of water which has to be replaced. The new water that replaces the evaporated water is called make-up water. There are other water losses from a process called blowdown which is a required purging process to keep the water clean inside the tower. You may also be losing water due to overflow or leaks in the system.

The best way to save water is to optimize your cooling tower operation. This includes a variety of measures ranging from advanced control systems to alert systems. Talk to your cooling tower vendor to discuss installing or upgrading the following devices: Conductivity Controller, Makeup Water Flow Meter, Overflow Alarm. The Board of Water Supply even has rebates for these equipment to help offset your cost.

A piece of equipment that detects the conductivity of the water inside the cooling tower. This can be used to automatically control the blowdown process and is more efficient than relying on manual blowdown. It also provides insight about the water quality.

Flow meters measure the amount of water flowing through a pipe. Installing a flow meter on the makeup water line provides insight to your cooling tower’s operation and performance. This provides a benchmark for water usage so that you know if there is unusual activity in your cooling tower which can reduce water waste by addressing leaks and overflows sooner.

An overflow alarm will alert the building facilities manager or vendor that there is an overflow problem in the cooling tower which results in wasted water. Overflow scenarios often go undetected and on top of wasting water can cause flooding in the mechanical area near the cooling tower leading to equipment damage.