How to get a free smart controller from Colorado Springs Utilities
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) runs a Smart Controller Upgrade Program that gives qualifying residential customers a WaterSense-certified irrigation controller at no cost. Spots are limited, so here is what you need to know before you register.
What the program offers
According to CSU, qualified customers can receive a free WaterSense-certified irrigation controller. CSU says these controllers "can reduce irrigation use by 16% per year" (Colorado Springs Utilities). CSU's page does not list specific brands or models, so you'll find out what's offered during the process.
WaterSense is the U.S. EPA's labeling program. EPA estimates that replacing a clock-based controller with a WaterSense labeled one can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons a year (EPA WaterSense).
Who is eligible
CSU lists these requirements (source):
- You must be a Colorado Springs Utilities residential water customer.
- You must have access to a Wi-Fi network. All controllers in the program must be connected to Wi-Fi to operate.
- Your system has 12 irrigation zones or fewer.
- You have not received a controller rebate from CSU within the last five years.
- CSU notes the equipment has a one-year warranty.
- Availability is limited to the first 300 registrants.
Business customers and HOAs follow a different path. CSU offers commercial customers a rebate covering half the purchase price, up to $400, for each WaterSense smart controller on retrofit projects (not new construction) (CSU business rebate). CSU's residential rules also say customers who pay their water bill through an HOA should look at the business rebates (CSU residential rules).
Step by step
CSU describes the process this way (source):
- Confirm you are a CSU water customer.
- Confirm your Wi-Fi reaches the controller location. Stand where your current controller hangs, often the garage, and check the signal on your phone. If it's weak, consider a Wi-Fi extender before pickup day.
- Complete the registration form on CSU's program page.
- Review the educational videos and fact sheets, then complete the quiz. You must pass, but CSU says you can retake it as many times as you need.
- Wait for a scheduling link. CSU will send you a link to schedule a time to pick up the controller.
- Pick it up and install it. Program controllers must be connected to Wi-Fi to operate.
Before pickup: a 15-minute prep list
- Count your zones. Open the controller and count the wired valve terminals in use. The program is for systems with 12 or fewer.
- Photograph the existing wiring and label each wire with its zone number using masking tape.
- Note anything unusual, such as a master valve, pump start relay, or rain sensor wired to the old controller. You'll need to reconnect these.
- Write down what each zone waters (front lawn, side-yard drip, and so on) and the sun exposure. Smart controllers use this to build schedules.
After installation: set it up for Colorado Springs rules
CSU's Water Wise Rules for 2026 say (Colorado Springs Utilities):
- You may water up to three days a week (Sunday to Saturday), and you choose the days.
- From May 1 to Oct. 15, water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
- Don't let water pool on hard surfaces or flow down gutters, and repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days.
- Drip irrigation, a handheld hose with a shut-off nozzle, or a watering can may be used at any time.
CSU says violations may be fined $100, though its priority is education. CSU also says 2026 water inflows are expected to be about half of normal because of low snowpack, warm temperatures, and early melt (source). When you program a new smart controller, set the allowed watering days and the time windows first. Then let weather adjustment trim run times within those limits. Use cycle-and-soak (shorter runs repeated) on slopes or clay soils to stop runoff onto sidewalks.
If you have a large or complex landscape that can't fit the three-day rule, CSU offers water allocation plans, which add scheduling flexibility but no additional water (source).
Related CSU irrigation rebates
Even if the free-controller spots are gone, CSU offers these residential irrigation rebates for 2026:
| Item | Rebate | Key rules |
|---|---|---|
| Wired rain sensor | $25 | Any make/model; must be new, installed on an existing residential sprinkler system, and connected to the controller. Limit two units per water account. Smart-controller "rain delay" features do not count (CSU). |
| Wireless rain sensor | $50 | |
| Sprinkler heads with check valves or pressure-regulating stems | $5 each | Must be on CSU's qualified list; retrofit only; limit 80 units per meter account (CSU). |
CSU's general rebate rules: equipment must be purchased and installed in the current calendar year, and applications must be postmarked by Jan. 31 of the following year. Receipts must show purchase date, price, make/model, and quantity. Rebates arrive as a credit to your CSU account, and CSU says processing can take up to eight weeks (CSU).
If you don't get a spot
- Ask CSU whether a waitlist or a future round is planned. Contact details are on the program page.
- CSU's 2026 residential rebate application lists rain sensors, qualifying sprinkler heads, and toilets, but not a rebate for buying your own smart controller (CSU 2026 rebate application). If you buy one yourself, budget for the full price.
- Compare models in our controller comparison, and add a rain sensor to take advantage of the CSU rebate.
Sources
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Smart Controller Upgrade Program: https://www.csu.org/rebates-programs/smart-controllers
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Residential rebate rules: https://www.csu.org/rebates-incentives/residential-rules
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Business smart irrigation controller rebate: https://www.csu.org/rebates-incentives/business-irrigation-controller
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Rain sensor rebate: https://www.csu.org/rebates-programs/rain-sensor
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Residential sprinkler head rebate: https://www.csu.org/rebates-programs/residential-sprinkler-head
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Water Wise Rules: https://www.csu.org/water-wise-rules/
- Colorado Springs Utilities, 2026 Residential/Small Business Efficiency Rebate application: https://www.csu.org/hubfs/Document-Library/RESRebateApplication.pdf?hsLang=en
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Labeled Controllers: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/irrigation-controllers