Front Range smart controller and irrigation rebates for 2026
Smart controller incentives on the Front Range range from a free controller to nothing at all, depending on which utility sends your water bill. Here is what each program offered in 2026, as published by the utilities themselves.
2026 at a glance
| Water provider | Residential smart controller | Other irrigation incentives | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs Utilities | Free WaterSense controller through the Smart Controller Upgrade Program | Rain sensors $25 wired / $50 wireless; $5 per qualifying sprinkler head | First 300 registrants; 12 zones or fewer; Wi-Fi required; quiz required |
| Aurora Water | Up to $200 (one per household every 10 years) | Soil moisture sensors $100 each (max two); rain sensors $15 wired / $50 wireless; rotors $12; spray bodies $9; nozzles $6; spray-to-drip $75 per zone (max three) | Installation photo required; upgrades to existing systems only. Aurora's free controller installs through Resource Central are closed for 2026 |
| Thornton Water | Up to $200, excluding tax, shipping, and installation (one per household per 10 years) | See Thornton's rebate page | WaterSense Wi-Fi controller on an underground system; photo of installed unit required |
| Fort Collins Utilities | Up to $65 (controller or add-on) | Soil moisture sensor up to $60; drip up to $130 per zone; rotary nozzles up to $4; rain sensor up to $20 wired / $40 wireless; and more | Apply within 60 days of purchase; bill credit |
| Fort Collins-Loveland Water District | $100 bill credit | Rain sensor $25; rotary nozzles up to $4 each | Purchase and submit by 11/30/2026 |
| Denver Water | None for single-family homes | Residential rebates cover toilets and sprinkler heads | Commercial: 25% of material cost for WaterSense controllers, with master valve or flow sensor required |
| Castle Rock Water | None listed for 2026 | Rotary nozzle retrofit up to $5 each; ColoradoScape (closed for 2026) | 2027 ColoradoScape details expected April 2027 |
Colorado Springs Utilities
CSU doesn't offer a cash rebate for a residential controller. Instead, it gives one away. The Smart Controller Upgrade Program provides a free WaterSense controller to residential customers with Wi-Fi and 12 or fewer zones who haven't received a CSU controller rebate in five years, limited to the first 300 registrants (CSU). Read our step-by-step guide. CSU's commercial customers can get half the purchase price, up to $400 per controller, on retrofit projects (CSU).
Aurora Water
Aurora pays up to $200 for a smart controller that "must be able to adjust run time and days per week based on current weather information," limited to one per household every 10 years, with an installation photo required. Rebates are for upgrading existing systems; brand-new systems don't qualify. Aurora's eligible list includes Rain Bird ARC and RC2, Hunter Hydrawise, Orbit B-hyve, Hydro-Rain B-hyve, Rachio, Weathermatic, Yardian, and others. Aurora also notes that Rachio offers Aurora Water customers discounts (City of Aurora).
Aurora is unusually generous on soil moisture sensors: $100 each, up to two per residence, if the sensor connects to the controller and adjusts schedules. See soil moisture sensors explained.
Separately, Resource Central's "Slow the Flow" program, which arranges low- or no-cost smart controller and rain sensor installations through participating water providers, says applications for 2026 are closed and to check back in spring 2027 (Resource Central).
Thornton Water
Thornton's 2026 rules offer up to $200 for an EPA WaterSense-certified Wi-Fi controller connected to an underground automatic sprinkler system, excluding taxes, shipping, and installation. Controllers bought in 2025 and 2026 qualify, limited to one per household per 10 years. You need an itemized receipt and a photo of the installed controller. Hose-tap timers, used or free controllers, and builder-provided controllers in new homes don't qualify. Thornton specifically notes that a Rain Bird ESP controller needs the LNK Wi-Fi module to count as smart, and the module isn't covered by the rebate. Credits post to your bill about two months after approval (Thornton Water 2026 rules).
Fort Collins: two different providers
Fort Collins residents may be served by different water providers, and the rebates differ:
- Fort Collins Utilities offers up to $65 for a WaterSense weather-based controller or add-on device on an in-ground system, plus rebates on soil moisture sensors (up to $60), drip equipment (up to $130 per zone), flow sensors and master valves (up to $130), and more. Apply within 60 days of purchase. Funds are first-come, first-served (City of Fort Collins).
- Fort Collins-Loveland Water District offers a $100 bill credit for a WaterSense smart controller and $25 for a rain sensor. Items must be bought in 2026 and receipts emailed by Nov. 30, 2026. The limit is one controller and one rain sensor per account per year (FCLWD).
Denver Water
Denver Water's smart controller rebate (25% of material cost for WaterSense controllers, with a master valve or flow sensor required) is for commercial customers and "does NOT apply to single-family residential" (Denver Water commercial rebates). For homes, Denver Water lists rebates for qualifying toilets and sprinkler heads (Denver Water residential rebates). It also partners with Resource Central to offer a limited number of free "Slow the Flow" sprinkler evaluations (Denver Water).
Castle Rock Water
Castle Rock's 2026 rebate page lists ColoradoScape renovation (closed for 2026, with 2027 details expected in April 2027) and a rotary nozzle retrofit rebate of up to $5 per nozzle. We did not find a smart controller rebate (Castle Rock Water). Castle Rock also notes that rebates of $600 or more are treated as taxable income and require a W-9.
Tips for getting paid
- Confirm WaterSense status for your exact model and configuration on EPA's WaterSense site.
- Keep an itemized receipt showing brand, model, price, and date.
- Photograph the installed controller. Aurora and Thornton require it.
- Watch the deadlines: 60 days from purchase in Fort Collins Utilities; Nov. 30, 2026 at FCLWD; Jan. 31 of the following year at CSU.
- Taxes: Castle Rock Water notes that rebates of $600 or more are taxable income and require a W-9 (Castle Rock Water). Ask a tax professional how this applies to you.
Sources
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Smart Controller Upgrade Program: https://www.csu.org/rebates-programs/smart-controllers
- Colorado Springs Utilities, Business smart irrigation controller rebate: https://www.csu.org/rebates-incentives/business-irrigation-controller
- City of Aurora, Residential Irrigation Rebates: https://www.auroragov.org/residents/water/rebates/irrigation/irrigation_rebates
- Resource Central, Smart Controllers: https://resourcecentral.org/sprinklers/smartcontrollers/
- Thornton Water, 2026 controller rebate rules: https://www.thorntonwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/residential_irrigation_controller_rebate_info__rules.pdf
- Thornton Water, Residential Rebates: https://www.thorntonwater.com/residential-rebates-and-free-services/
- City of Fort Collins, Residential Water Conservation: https://www.fortcollins.gov/Services/Utilities/Programs-and-Rebates/Water-Programs/Residential-Water-Conservation
- Fort Collins-Loveland Water District, Smart Sprinkler Rebate: https://fclwd.com/smart-sprinkler-rebate/
- Denver Water, Residential Rebates: https://www.denverwater.org/residential/rebates-and-conservation-tips/residential-rebates
- Denver Water, Commercial Rebates: https://www.denverwater.org/business/rebates-and-conservation-tips/commercial-rebates
- Denver Water, Slow the Flow Sprinkler Audits: https://www.denverwater.org/residential/rebates-and-conservation-tips/sprinkler-audits
- Castle Rock Water, Rebates: https://crconserve.com/153/Rebates