Make a New Year's resolution to reduce outdoor water use and reduce water bills
LOS ANGELES, CA (January 3, 2025) — Cooler temperatures make it the perfect time for Angelenos to plant low-water landscapes. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is offering a $5 per square foot rebate for turf replacement, encouraging customers to switch to water-efficient, environmentally friendly gardens with California Friendly® and native plants this new year.
About a third of LA's water is used outdoors. Businesses and residential customers who replace traditional lawns with water-based gardens can make a significant impact on the environment by saving an estimated 44 gallons of water for every square foot of grass replaced with sustainable landscaping.
“We want to not only help our customers conserve water, but also enhance their outdoor spaces with plants that are better suited to L.A.’s climate and environment,” said Terrence McCarthy, LADWP water resources policy manager. “With our discounts and free resources, it’s easier than ever to create sustainable, water-efficient landscapes and save money on water bills.”
Since its inception, LADWP's turf replacement program has incentivized the replacement of nearly 52 million square feet of turf. The associated water savings are equivalent to the amount of water used by more than 28,000 households annually.
To qualify, customers must apply and receive Pre-approval before beginning your lawn replacement project. Residential customers can receive $5 per square foot on projects ranging from 250 square feet to 5,000 square feet, for a maximum total discount of $25,000. Commercial customers can get $5 per square foot on projects ranging from 250 square feet to 50,000 square feet. Larger commercial turf replacement projects ranging in size from 50,001 square feet to 7 acres are eligible for a $3 per square foot rebate over and above the initial 50,000 square foot incentive for their project.
To help customers transition to sustainable landscaping, LADWP also offers free resources to make swapping thirsty lawns for sustainable, low-water gardens easier, including: landscaping templates; Lists of low water consumption facilities; DIY instructional videos; landscape training courses; Tips for Hiring a Landscape Gardener; and checklists for sustainable landscaping.
To help their sustainable garden thrive, customers can take advantage of additional cashback discounts on water-saving irrigation equipment: up to $6 per nozzle on water-efficient rotating sprinkler nozzles; Up to $200 back on a weather-based irrigation controller that adjusts a sprinkler system's schedule based on changing weather, and up to $50 back on rain barrels to capture rainwater and use it to irrigate plants, trees and landscaping.
To learn more about LADWP’s turf replacement program, visit ladwp.com/landscaping. For more information on free lawn transformation resources, visit ladwp.com/LawnToGarden. Commercial customers can visit ladwp.com/cwr.
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