Santa Clarita Valley Water’s Lawn Replacement Program is back and will give homeowners, businesses, HOAs and large landscape customers more opportunities to save water and money. Replace your grass with sustainable water-wise landscaping.

With the new and improved LRP, customers will receive $3 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with water efficient landscaping and have more incentives and rebates to help complete their projects.

Additionally, customers have more flexibility to mix, match and stack incentives and additional rebates. Smaller projects and more project areas are now eligible so more people can participate.

“Following the previous drought, program participation decreased so we went back to the drawing board to determine optimal strategies to increase program participation on a sustainable scale,” said SCV Water Sustainability Manager Matt Dickens. “The new parameters will make it easier for customers to participate and provide increased water savings opportunities.”

The revamped Lawn Replacement Program now allows for:
— Eligible project areas: Front, side, back yards and parkways.
— Square footage requirements: Projects 100 sq. ft. minimum to 2,500 sq. ft. maximum with
5,000 sq. ft. maximum per year.
— Additional incentives: Native plants, irrigation options and more.
— More flexibility: Mix, match and stack incentives and additional rebates.

Customers who still want to keep some of their grass can also participate. With this option, customers may convert some zones to water-efficient plants while maintaining other zones with the existing turfgrass.

Additional Incentives, Rebates

SCV Water has added several new programs and incentives that focus on sustainable landscape practices such as:
— Native Plant Bonus Incentive. Get an additional incentive for using native plants on at least half of the project area plant coverage.
— Sheet Mulching Program. Try an eco-friendly, no-dig method of grass removal while adding nutrients to the soil.
— Water Retention Feature Program. Try one or more options including terracing, rain gardens and bioswales to help save and reuse rainwater, recharge groundwater and reduce runoff from the landscape.
— Owl Boxes and Bee Hotels. Cultivate native species in the landscape for natural rodent control and native plant pollination.
— Rain Barrels. Harvest rainwater for supplemental watering by using rain barrels, up to two per account.

“We are excited to add these innovative bonus rebates and incentives to our Lawn Replacement Program,” said Julia Grothe, project lead and SCV Water’s water conservation specialist. “We hope that this new program not only helps customers save water and money, but also helps make a positive difference in the sustainability of our community.”

More Resources

SCV Water has also updated and expanded its Lawn Replacement Program resources to help participants every step of the way. Customers will have access to informational materials about the program, countless ideas and examples of plants and successful projects, as well as educational resources to learn more. And most notably, SCV Water is offering project assistance for customers who need a little or a lot of help to complete their project. Help comes in the form of:

— A new online rebate calculator. Prior to starting a project, plug in the anticipated project area and estimate the rebate amount for updating irrigation components and converting grass to sustainable landscaping. To estimate your rebate, visit Rebate Estimator.

— A Design Assistance Program. Meet with a professional landscape designer from our pre-screened list to develop some project ideas and gather information on plant choices. Customers who participate in SCV Water’s new program will not only help establish healthy eco-systems in their yards, but they’ll spend less time maintaining them and more time enjoying a colorful, flourishing and sustainable landscape.

About the Lawn Replacement Program

The Lawn Replacement Program began in spring 2014 at the beginning of the previous drought and was run by the legacy Castaic Lake Water Agency as part of the Family of Water Suppliers outreach efforts. In 2015, at the height of the drought, there were a total of 332 program participants: 259 residential and 73 business/large landscapes/HOAs, which converted approximately 750,000 square feet of grass. The annual program target was 650,000 square feet of converted turf. Following the drought, program participation decreased prompting SCV Water to conduct an evaluation to determine optimal strategies to increase participation on a sustainable scale.

For more information including how to apply, visit Conserve Your SCV Water.