Last night, the City Council voted to move forward with a "cash for grass" pilot program, which would pay people to replace their lawns with drought-resistant landscaping and drip irrigation systems.
The vote was unanimous.
"I think this will really help our residents make a difference in saving water," says City Councilman Kevin McCarty. "I think it's time that we, as a city, help incentivize action and conservation."
Under the pilot program, a resident can apply through the city's 3-1-1 program.
If approved, a resident can then submit receipts for new landscaping and irrigation systems to the city.
It's still unclear how much the rebate would be. But the city's Department of Utilities has already set aside $100,000 for the program.
The city is expected to start issuing rebates next month. The Department of Utilities expects the program to be very popular -- and plans for it to continue into next year as well.
Related Stories
Drought In California Seems Inevitable. But Experts Say Don’t Panic.
March 1, 2020Parts of California just witnessed the driest February ever, and there’s around an 80 percent chance the state will enter a full-blown drought this year. If that happens, it could be the third-driest year in just over a century.
California's Dry October Could Be A Sign Of More Concentrated Rainy Seasons
October 29, 2018When it comes to rain and snow most of California is running below average this year, and little is forecast in the near future.
.jpg&width=186&height=140&constrain=true&pad=true&BgColor=cccccc "Tahoe Environmental Research Center boat captain Brant Allen lowers a Secchi disk from the research vessel into Lake Tahoe. The disk has been used for more than 50 years to measure water clarity at the lake.")
Extreme Weather Dropped Lake Tahoe Clarity To Historic Lows In 2017
June 13, 2018If you spent time on the water at Lake Tahoe last year and thought it looked a lot cloudier, you're right. UC Davis researchers say extreme weather — drought followed by heavy rains — caused clarity in 2017 to drop to its lowest recorded level.
Dry Spell Raises Fears Of Drought's Return In California
January 3, 2018(AP) — Despite dry conditions in much of the state, water managers say it's too early for fears that California is sliding back into drought as abruptly as the state fell out of it.
Caltrans Marking, Removing Dead Trees Along State Highways
August 22, 2017Caltrans is worried about the possibility of dead trees falling onto some California highways. The agency has already removed 107,000 trees. Now the agency is getting ready to remove another 54,000 trees, including some on private land.
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
