How Your HOA Can Make a Difference

Director Barbara Keegan
Valley Water Director, District 2

Lawns were once the quintessential landscape of many communities, including Homeowners' Associations. However, as we face a rapidly changing climate and increasingly severe droughts, we need to start transitioning to a more sustainable form of landscaping.

That's why Valley Water encourages all Homeowners Associations (HOA) to convert non-functional grass lawns into beautiful, water-wise landscapes featuring native plants. By doing so, we can conserve water while creating sustainable environments that benefit our local communities.

California-friendly plants are adapted to our climate and require far less water than traditional lawns. By transitioning to these plants, HOAs can significantly reduce water usage, with an estimated 36,000 gallons of water saved per 1,000 square feet of converted lawn. These plants also offer other benefits, such as providing a habitat for local wildlife and significantly reducing maintenance and upkeep costs. Imagine a landscape that's water-efficient and beautiful and supports butterflies, bees, and birds right at your doorstep.

So, what can you do to help? Start the conversation. Talk to your HOA board about the benefits of lawn conversion and the long-term savings it can bring. We offer a variety of resources to help get started, including business-specific rebates of up to $100,000 that help make the transition more affordable.

Converting to a low-water-use landscape allows your HOA to comply with watering restrictions and prepare for a more sustainable future. It is important to understand that in Santa Clara County, HOAs receiving water directly from Valley Water or indirectly from a water retailer are permanently prohibited from irrigating non-functional turf at any time. Failure to comply may also lead to fines during a declared drought response. Additionally, by 2029, this ban will be statewide.

In addition to landscape and irrigation equipment rebates, Valley Water offers a $150 rebate per installed submeter at multi-family properties. Switching from a master meter to submeters reduces water usage by 15 to 30 percent. Please take advantage of our rebates while the funds last.

Let's start the conversation with your HOA boards today. Valley Water is here to support you every step of the way. We offer free outdoor water-use surveys, design resources, and rebates for landscape conversion. Rebates may be even higher in some areas! Let's make a difference, one lawn at a time. Find water conservation, surveys and rebates at watersavings.org.

Over the summer months of 2022, Morgan Hill's Woodland Estates transformed the grass landscape surrounding its clubhouse to a low-water use landscape. Valley Water's Landscape Rebate Program is designed to encourage residents and businesses to convert approved high-water use landscapes, such as lawns and pools, to low-water use landscapes and to retrofit existing irrigation equipment with approved high-efficiency irrigation equipment.

Commercial and multi-family sites (5 or more units) could qualify for as much as $100,000 in rebates. Learn more at valleywater.org/saving-water/rebates-surveys/landscape-rebates.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.