With the drought still very present in California, any opportunity to help save water is a welcome one. But sometimes upgrades that can save water can be cost prohibitive to homeowners so they can’t do as much as they would like to do. Thankfully there are a variety of programs designed to help homeowners cut back on their water usage, such as the water rebates I wrote about recently. Well now there is a new program available to help keep lawn conversions at a lower cost. The City of San Jose recently announced the start of Lawn Busters; a pilot program geared toward keeping landscape upgrades to more drought resistant plants more affordable.
The city wants to help as many homeowners as possible to convert their yards. Each conversion helps the entire ecosystem save water. Considering even small lawns can use over 18,000 gallons of water in one year - making this change is clearly worth the effort. The beautification of yards is also an extra benefit. When you have drought tolerant landscaping, your yard is not only more sustainable, but it is beautiful too. Just imagine, gone are the days of dead, brown grass, replaced by vibrant succulents and native plant life. With the Lawn Busters program eligible homeowners will get a re-landscaping package, which will include materials needed for landscaping, irrigation conversion and drought resistant plants, as well as the labor for the project at an incredible cost of only $500.
Qualified homeowners must live in their home, which must be a single-family unit, and they must be customers of the San Jose Municipal Water System. Lawn areas to be converted must be between 500 and 1,500 square feet and have a working sprinkler irrigation system and controller in place. These parameters are what will allow for the packages to be at the discounted cost being provided. 25% of the Lawn Busters funding has been set aside for low-income homeowners who qualify. The program is being funded through a partnership between the San Jose Municipal Water System, Santa Clara Valley Water District and the nonprofit organization, Our City Forest. The San Jose city website has all the details on how to qualify and is where to go to begin the process.
If the Lawn Busters pilot program is a success, hopefully we will see it expand to other water districts in the region. The more we can all do to save water, the more we can all help each other and our environment. We at Haylen Group are here to help you with all of your real estate needs! If you are unsure what your options are, call Helen Chong at (408) 800-LIST or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit us at our website for available listings and additional information.
