Helix Water District: Remove Grass And Get Cash With Sustainable Landscaping

Lemon Grove CA

07 July, 2021

12:35 AM

Description

Press release from Helix Water District: July 2, 2021 Helix customers can get $3 – $4 per square foot when they replace thirsty lawn with sustainable landscape. Sustainable landscapes feature low-water-use plants and efficient irrigation systems, use rainwater as a resource and protect the soil with mulch. Grass requires 25-30 gallons of water per square foot per year while sustainable landscaping needs half that much water, or even a third of that amount. Here is what you need to know to improve your landscape, reduce your water bill and reserve your rebate money: The Rebate Customers can receive a rebate of $3-$4 per square foot when they convert 250 – 10,000 square feet of grass to sustainable landscaping with low-water-use plants. Getting Preapproved Before removing any grass, customers need to apply for the rebate. You will receive a confirmation email once you are preapproved. From there, you have 180 days (6 months) to complete your new landscape. Design Requirements Plant Coverage To make your landscape beautiful and functional, you need a minimum of three plants per 100 square feet. Picture three plants in a 10' x 10' room. Use Rain Water When you design your new landscape, design it so that it slows down and holds rainwater. Rain gardens, dry streambeds, berms, vegetated swales, rock gardens, grades and rain barrels are different ways to capture rainwater. Keeping rainwater on your property reduces the amount of water flowing down streets that carry pollutants into local waterways. Visit the SoCal WaterSmart website to see what design works best for you. Use Efficient Irrigation When you remove your lawn, it is also a great time to retrofit your irrigation system and water more efficiently. Improvements are easy, like retrofitting your old spray heads with new high-efficiency nozzles or drip irrigation. Use Mulch Mulch protects soil from sunlight, keeps it cool and reduces the amount of water your plants need. Just cover bare soil with 3-4 inches of mulch and your new plants will thrive. Mulch is very affordable and we even have a rebate for it. Visit hwd.fyi/mulch for details. About Hardscapes Paved areas and walkways are allowed but do not count toward your total rebate. Artificial turf and turf-looking grasses also do not qualify for the rebate. Want to know more? Take a FREE landscaping class on Zoom BeWaterWise.com and WaterSmartSD.org are offering FREE classes on Zoom.com. Register for either program. You can ask questions and learn how to transform your grass into a functional, sustainable and enjoyable landscape. Sign up for a class at bewaterwise.com or watersmartsd.org This press release was produced by Helix Water District . The views expressed are the author's own.