Mayor Bass Honored With Trailblazer Award for Climate Action, Announces New LADWP Program to Help Angelenos Conserve Water, Save Money, and Beautify Neighborhoods

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today was honored with the Trailblazer Award for climate action at the Net Zero Conference, which celebrates leaders making a positive impact on people and the environment. She also announced a new no-cost program through the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) designed to help Angelenos in disadvantaged communities conserve water, save money on their water bills, and beautify their neighborhoods.

Through the Landscape Efficiency Assistance Program(LEAP), qualifying LADWP single-family residential customers can receive a front yard transformation that includes turf removal, efficient irrigation systems, drought-tolerant plants tailored to thrive in Southern California's climate, and other water-saving upgrades - all at no cost to the homeowner. The program serves communities where residents often face financial barriers to making landscape improvements.

"This award is a testament to all of the City Departments, non-profits, advocacy groups, and community leaders taking action every day to advance L.A.'s climate goals," said Mayor Karen Bass. "What better day to launch an innovative new program to empower Angelenos to conserve water and further bolster the sustainability of L.A.'s neighborhoods - and it's just one of many City initiatives helping to increase resilience, create cleaner communities, and show the world what's possible when we commit to climate leadership."

"I have witnessed firsthand Mayor Bass' commitment to bold climate action, and LEAP is another program that will push us forward in meeting our ambitious climate goals," said Janisse Quiñones, LADWP Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer. "Water conservation and sustainable landscapes should be for all Angelenos, and the LEAP program helps make California Friendly lawns accessible to everyone. By providing no-cost landscaping transformation services, we are helping LADWP customers save water, lower their bills, and contribute to the region's overall environmental resilience."

About the LEAP Program
Funded by a $14.6 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), LEAP aims to convert approximately 1.03 million square feet of turf into water-wise gardens by December 2026. The initiative is projected to save more than 85.5 million gallons of water annually, enough water for 1,052 households.

To deliver the front yard transformations, LADWP has partnered with certified private contractors trained in water-efficient landscaping construction. These professionals will work directly with participants to remove existing lawns, install or upgrade irrigation systems, and plant drought-tolerant landscapes.

Program eligibility requirements include:

• Must be a single-family residential LADWP customer living in a Disadvantaged Community, as stipulated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR)

• Front lawn must be alive (green); replacements are limited to front yards only

• Turf removal area must range between 1,000 to 3,000 square feet

• Property must have rain gutters installed in the front of the house

• Applicant must be the property owner or have documented permission from the owner

LEAP funds are limited. Customer participation is on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. For more information and to check program eligibility, visit ladwp.com/LEAP.

Customers not eligible for LEAP may qualify for LADWP's $5 per square foot Turf Replacement Rebate, offered to all single-family residential customers. Pre-approval is required, and eligible customers can receive up to $25,000 in rebates, depending on lawn size. Since its inception, LADWP's Turf Replacement Rebate program has incentivized the replacement of 55.4 million square feet of turf. The associated water savings are equivalent to the amount of water used by 29,928 homes annually.

In addition, LADWP offers many rebates and incentive programswhere customers can make household changes and upgrades needed to help them make water conservation a way of life.

Mayor Bass' Work to Build a Cleaner, More Sustainable Los Angeles

Since taking office, Mayor Bass has worked with climate organizations, non-profits, and community leaders to make significant strides in meeting L.A.'s ambitious climate goals.

• In August, Mayor Bassannounced the completion of the Eland Solar-plus-Storage Center project, one of the largest solar and battery energy storage projectsin the entire country. The power that will be generated by both phases of the Eland project - Eland 1 and Eland 2 - will meet 7 percent of Los Angeles's total energy consumption while helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Eland can provide enough power to supply more than 266,000 households across L.A, and it's forecasted to help the City reach 64 percent clean energy by the end of the year. Over the 25-year term of the contract, the Eland power purchase agreement will save LADWP's ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

• Last month, LADWP launched theSelf-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)that provides funding to help low-income residents install solar and battery storage systems on their properties. Every SGIP project will help enhance grid reliability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote clean energy.

• Earlier this year,Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 5to help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes to better protect against wildfires. The Order directs City departments to identify plans to streamline permitting for owners who rebuild all-electric, more fire-resistant homes, encourage the use of fire-resistant construction materials, and harden utilities.

• In March, the LADWP Board of Commissioners and the Board of Public Works unveiled the Pure Water Los Angeles Master Plan and the Hyperion Program Implementation Plan, marking a significant milestone advancing the sustainability and resilience of Los Angeles' water supply.

  • Pure Water Los Angeles aims to produce up to 230 million gallons of purified recycled water per day, creating a new, sustainable supply of drinking water and supporting the transition to a 70 percent local water supply by 2035.

• This summer, the Advanced Water Purification Project at Hyperion and LADWP's Direct Potable Reuse Pilot Project became operational, advancing the sustainability and resiliency of Los Angeles' water supply.

• In December 2024, construction began on the Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification facility which will be capable of production of 25 million gallons per day of recycled water by 2028.

• The Mayor's Climate Cabinet continues to make progress on a wide range of climate initiatives and priorities. The Climate Cabinet is composed of leaders from 15 key departments and 10 technical working groups critical to updating and achieving the City's climate and sustainability goals.

• More than 775,000 homes and businesses now have access to food scrap recycling using their curbside green bins. The City is encouraging participation with help from the State of California, which awarded $14.9 million in outreach grant funding to LA Sanitation and assigned six California Climate Action Corps Fellows to educate Los Angeles neighbors and distribute kitchen countertop pails. These efforts have helped Angelenos compost 523,000 tons of organic waste last year.

• The Port of LA is moving forward on implementation of its work plan for the $412 million EPA Clean Ports grant, which it will use to support its transition to zero emissions operations at the port terminals. The Port will also invest $50 million for a community-led Zero Emissions grant program, workforce development, and related engagement activities.

L.A. has More EV Chargers Than Any City in the Country

• Nearly 21,000 new EV chargers have been installed since Mayor Bass assumed office, more than doubling the total number of EV chargers available in Los Angeles to almost 41,000. DC fast chargers alone have more than doubled over this period and Los Angeles continues to have the most chargers of any city in the country.

• This week, Mayor Bass joined LA28 and Highland Electric Fleets to announce a historic partnership: 500 zero-emission, electric school buses from local districts that would otherwise take a break from their routes during the summer will be repurposed to assist in transport operations during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mayor Bass and LA28 are committed to minimizing the environmental footprint of Games operations and delivering a sustainable event that leaves a lasting positive impact on Los Angeles.

• LADOT has more than 160 electric buses in its fleet, making it one of the largest electric transit bus fleets in the country and the largest in California.

• With 95 battery electric buses in the Metro bus fleet, more than 6,000,000 zero emission miles have been driven to date.

• The San Pedro Bay Ports now have more than 560 registered zero emission trucks, significant progress toward the goal of ensuring that all trucks serving the Ports are zero-emission by 2035.

• LADWP continues to offer rebates of up to $4,000 on qualifying used EVs, as well as up to $1,500 for a residential EV charger and up to $5,000 for commercial EV chargers.

Advancing Climate Resiliency

• The City recently launched theHigh-performance, Optimized, Modern Electrification for Los Angeles (HOME LA) Pilot Programthrough LADWP, an initiative designed to help property owners impacted by the January wildfires rebuild more resilient, efficient, and environmentally-friendly homes.

• LADWP continues to provide rebates on air conditioning units to manage the impacts of extreme heat to older adults, low-income families, and those living in underserved communities where hot weather has an especially significant impact.

• Since Mayor Bass took office, significant efforts have been made to plant more trees citywide. Additionally, the City has replaced invasive plants with local plants in parks and open spaces. Los Angeles aims to increase its tree canopy to promote shade and cooler streets in areas with the lowest coverage by 2028, focusing on underserved communities.