California is rolling out $30 million in rebates to replace turf and toilets as the drought drags on.
On Aug. 12, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced two rebate programs. The goal is to inspire Californians to tear out 10 million square feet of lawn and to replace 60,000 water-inefficient toilets.
Homeowners replacing an old toilet with one that uses less water will get $100 from the state. Ripped-out lawns are worth $2 per square foot, up to $2,000 per household.
The turf rebates are targeted at disadvantaged communities that depend on groundwater basins depleted by the drought. Both programs are funded through the water bond approved by voters when Proposition 1 passed in 2014.
For more information, visit saveourwaterrebates.com. Homeowners need to apply before re-landscaping or replacing toilets.
This article appears in Aug 20-27, 2015.