Tampa Bay Water Wise’s controller offer starts with current prequalification. It is not a reimbursement promise for equipment you independently buy first. The program describes potentially free installation of a qualifying irrigation controller and says eligibility is evaluated periodically. Controller program
Check the right three inputs
Before buying hardware or scheduling changes, assemble:
| Input | Why the program needs a precise answer |
|---|---|
| Water supply | The published use screen concerns potable water, not reclaimed irrigation water. |
| Consumption history | The page describes eligible customers using about 18,000 gallons or more per month on average, not one unusually large bill. |
| Existing sprinkler condition | The system must already be in good working order. |
Then use the program’s current prequalification route. Last year’s answer, a neighbor’s installation or a high summer bill does not settle this year’s eligibility. Keep the dated result and ask the program which step follows before committing to a purchase. Prequalification instructions
Do not confuse equipment with the landscape award
Tampa Bay Water also runs a Community Water Wise landscape awards program. Its 2026 announcement gave a July 31 application deadline and described recognition and a custom steppingstone. It did not offer a general payment for replacing a lawn. 2026 awards announcement
Keep the program name in your project notes so that an award page cannot accidentally become the basis of a contractor’s rebate assumption.
A smart controller also does not override watering restrictions. The controller program expressly requires adherence to local restrictions. Ask about the actual installation, settings and owner responsibilities; neither this guide nor a prequalification result establishes a household’s water savings or a blanket right to irrigate.
Sources and method
Local Service Ledger checked the cited institutional records on September 7, 2026 and assembled the reader worksheet above. A potable-use, sprinkler-condition and current-prequalification checklist distinguishes a controller installation offer from a landscape award or permission to ignore watering restrictions. No interview, site visit or individual service transaction was conducted.