Turf Removal Goes Up to $3 Per Square Foot

OGD-lawn-conversion-006-300x200West Basin Municipal Water District announced today that it has increased the current “Turfs Up” turf removal rebate from $2 to $3 per square foot for qualifying residents in its service area, thanks to a $300,000 grant from the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The grant allows West Basin to add an additional dollar to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD)’s $2 per square foot rebate, and provide even more water conservation incentives to the overall program in a cost-effective way.

In addition to the $3 per square foot rebate, the enhanced program provides a free consultation, where a landscape surveyor will assist the applicant in identifying turf that can be removed and providing information about low water use, drought-tolerant plants and drip irrigation. As a new component to the program, residents who apply can also qualify to receive up to two free rain barrels during the pre-inspection survey. Separately, West Basin also offers free California Friendly Landscape Training classes that teach residents how to create water-efficient gardens.

The grant funding will help remove approximately 450,000 square feet (or 10 acres) of water-thirsty lawns to help conserve 20 million gallons of precious drinking water per year, and provide 450 rain barrels to qualifying residents in West Basin’s service area. The program is available for a limited time on a first-come, first-served basis, while funding lasts and a minimum of 250 square feet of turf must be removed. For full details and to apply, residents should visit www.SoCalWaterSmart.com.

“Programs such as turf removal allow residents to significantly reduce their outdoor water use, which is where the largest amount of water savings potential is for residential communities,” said West Basin Board President Gloria D. Gray. “With the addition of rain barrels into this program, West Basin is maximizing on the opportunity to conserve water outdoors. If we all work together to do even a small part in this drought, we can make a big difference on the impacts of our future water supply.”

To date, West Basin’s residents and businesses, in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), have removed more than 1 million square feet of water-thirsty lawns and landscaping, helping to conserve 44 million gallons of drinking water per year.

To learn more about West Basin’s water conservation programs and classes, please visit www.westbasin.org.

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