City to consider officially helping you ditch your lawn ⋆ The Palm Springs Post

Homeowners hoping to convert their yards from grass to desert landscaping may get some help from the city under a measure being considered this by week by elected officials.

Palm Springs would be the fourth Coachella Valley city to match incentives for turf conversion if a measure on its agenda later this week moves forward.

Driving the news: The City Council will consider legislation authorizing the city to initially spend $150,000 in sustainability funds to match rebates offered by Desert Water Agency (DWA) at its regular meeting Thursday evening.

DWA currently offers up to $3 per square foot for customers replacing their lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping. The city would match that amount, ensuring that a total of $6 per square foot would be available to eligible projects.

Details: A staff report being reviewed by councilmembers recommends matching up to $5,000 per project, with $100,000 allocated for HOAs and $50,000 available for individual residences.

Projects using artificial turf would not be eligible for the rebate funding.

Why it matters: Grass is the largest irrigated crop in America, surpassing corn and wheat. It’s estimated that up to 75% of some homes’ water use is spent on lawns. Replacing grass with anything else during a drought is a no-brainer.

Larger picture: In September, the Palm Desert City Council approved matching rebates currently offered by the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), putting up to $1 million into a fund. A similar move was made by Rancho Mirage in August. Indian Wells also provides matching grants.

Residents of Palm Springs have been asking City Hall for similar moves ever since DWA began recommending and imposing measures aimed at saving water.
The city has been doing its part, aiming to replace ornamental lawns with desert landscape at many parks.

You can turn here to learn more about the DWA rebate program.