MWD Invests $450 million on Water Conservation

by Gary Toebben

Is there a long-term benefit to Los Angeles County and all of Southern California that can come from this brutal, historic drought? Yes, if the call by Gov. Jerry Brown to lower water use turns out to have a permanent, lasting effect. Lowering demand will allow the system to store more water in wet years so that sufficient water is held in reserve to meet the demands of future droughts. 

There is no more sensible place to look for conservation savings than outdoors, particularly ornamental lawns surrounding homes and businesses. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, importer of water from Northern California and the Colorado River for the six-county, Southland region, is making a bold investment to lock in water savings through a $450 million conservation program. The money will provide turf removal rebates to residents, businesses and public agencies.

Thousands of Southern Californians are inquiring about this program every week and by the time this conservation push is over, as much as 175 million square-feet of turf will be permanently replaced by native plants and landscapes that are better suited to our Mediterranean climate.

For every square-foot of turf removed from residential properties, Metropolitan will provide a $2 rebate, up to $6,000 per home. There are also rebates for businesses and public agencies. In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power is matching this incentive with its own $1.75 rebate. Metropolitan’s conservation web site, bewaterwise.com, is the place to go for tips and information on the rebates.

LADWP and others have increasingly relied on Metropolitan’s water reserves as the current drought has persisted. This has created a short-term increase in revenue for Metropolitan, and the District is directing some of this revenue to the conservation effort. No rate increase is associated with this program.  

Government cannot underwrite every lawn that is suitable for removal, but this rebate program can help transform behavior. If these efforts by Metropolitan and LADWP result in more water-efficient outdoor landscapes, Los Angeles County will be far better prepared for the next drought. 

And that's The Business Perspective.