Water Efficiency Technology (WET) Rebates: A strategic advantage for forward thinking businesses

July 30, 2026

In a region where water is both essential and increasingly constrained by climate change, operational efficiency is no longer just about cost savings, it’s about long‑term resilience. Valley Water’s Water Efficiency Technology (WET) Rebate Program is designed to help leading organizations unlock significant water savings while strengthening their bottom line.

The program empowers commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi‑family property owners across Santa Clara County to integrate proven, high‑impact water‑saving technologies into their operations. With rebates of up to $100,000 per project, Valley Water helps lower financial barriers so that businesses can modernize infrastructure, reduce water costs, and capture measurable efficiency gains.

Many organizations know that water is a critical cost driver, but few have visibility into the technologies that can reshape their usage. Valley Water provides guidance to business owners seeking to implement systems or improvements that can yield quantifiable water savings year after year.

A standout example is FRIT San Jose Town and Country Village, LLC. In 2018, the company partnered with Valley Water to improve the efficiency of its cooling tower system by installing a water softener for the tower’s make‑up water, an operational upgrade with outsized impact. By allowing the cooling tower to run longer between discharge cycles, the property significantly reduced its demand for fresh water with annual water savings of 1.6 million gallons.

Cooling towers alone can consume up to 30% of the water used in retail and commercial buildings. For organizations with cooling systems, manufacturing processes, or water-intensive operations, the WET Rebate Program is a powerful tool to accelerate sustainability while reducing long-term operating costs.

Business leaders increasingly recognize that environmental stewardship and financial performance can go hand in hand. Water‑efficient technologies help organizations reduce operational expenses, strengthen infrastructure resilience, support sustainability goals and contribute to a more water-secure future for Santa Clara County.

To learn about eligible technologies, program requirements, and available rebates, visit the WET Rebate Program page at WaterSavings.org. There you can also find our interactive WET Rebate Story Map featuring examples of efficiency projects that provide lasting value.

Water efficiency isn’t just good for the environment. It’s good for business. By investing today, organizations can help secure the future of both their operations and the community they serve.

Valley Water manages an integrated water resources system that includes the supply of clean, safe water, flood protection and stewardship of streams on behalf of Santa Clara County's 2 million residents. Valley Water effectively manages 10 dams and surface water reservoirs, three water treatment plants, an advanced recycled water purification center, a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, nearly 280 acres of groundwater recharge ponds and 350 miles of waterways. We provide wholesale water and groundwater management services to local municipalities and private water retailers who deliver drinking water directly to homes and businesses in Santa Clara County.