July 13, 2023
Grass Replacement Programs Yields Over 30 Million Gallons of Anticipated Annual Water Savings
Residential, commercial and public agency-focused programs garnered 700,000 square feet of grass slated for removal
West Basin Municipal Water District closed the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year with record grass replacement in the service area resulting in major, long-term water savings. A total of 697,311 square feet (sq. ft.) of grass in the West Basin service area is or will be replaced with beautiful, climate appropriate landscapes, according to West Basin reports on rebates completed, in progress and earmarked. The replacement of nearly 7,000 sq. ft. of water-intensive grass equates to approx. 31 million gallons of water saved annually (30,681,640 gallons or 94 acre-feet per year).
West Basin’s Grass Replacement programs provide varying levels of landscape transformation resources to participants:
- Grass Replacement Residential and Commercial Rebate Program: offers up to $3 per sq. ft. of grass removed from residential and commercial landscapes.
- Grass Replacement+ Program: offers eligible residents:
- An increased rebate of $5 per sq. ft. of grass removed, up to $25,000; a free professional landscape design; and a free climate appropriate tree.
- Public Agency Grass Replacement Program: offers public entities:
- An increased rebate starting at $4 per sq. ft. of grass removed from publicly-owned landscapes, up to $800,000; a free professional landscape design; and rebate application assistance.
The combined efforts of these programs have resulted in a successful year of water savings achieved through landscape transformation. Other accomplishments achieved during the fiscal year running from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023 include:
- The Public Agency Grass Replacement program saw two completed median projects in the cities of Gardena and Hermosa Beach with eight additional projects throughout the service area pending construction;
- Residential rebates achieved its highest level of square footage of grass replaced since the program’s existence;
- Commercial-based grass replacement increased from 20,000 sq. ft. to 300,000 sq. ft.; and
- The Grass Replacement+ pilot program successfully distributed 20 free professional landscape designs to eligible residents in the service area.
All of West Basin’s grass replacement programs encourage climate appropriate landscape transformations as an effective to way to reduce outdoor water use, which can make up to 50% of total household water use. To learn how to adopt a SUPER-CALI-FRUGALISTISC lifestyle, visit www.westbasin.org/conservation.
