Lawn-busting mission with Our City Forest continues

Great news for disadvantaged communities in Santa Clara County needing help saving water — the Santa Clara Valley Water District continues its partnership with Our City Forest to help low-income, elderly, disabled or veteran homeowners obtain a low-cost lawn conversion. The water district recently renewed the contract to continue supporting the local non-profit with additional funding.

During the peak of the drought in 2015, lawn transformations hit an all-time-high in Santa Clara County. The water district’s Landscape Rebate Program was so widely popular, it needed a waiting list! By joining forces with our Our City Forest three years ago, the water district has helped make lawn conversions more accessible to underrepresented populations. The partnership gave rise to Lawn Busters.

Lawn Busters provides affordable options for a landscape transformation to those who might otherwise be unable to get rid of their lawn. As part of the project, homeowners receive on-site evaluations and help with the project design, planting and irrigation installation. The result: a beautiful water-wise landscape that will save water, support birds and bees, and bloom gorgeous native and drought-tolerant plants for years to come.

In the last three years, Lawn Busters has helped nearly 200 homeowners transform their yard. Altogether the program has converted 170,000 square feet of turf into water-efficient landscapes. That translates into a savings of more than 5 million gallons a year, filling about eight Olympic-sized swimming pools.

With at least 50 percent of home water use going outdoors, a water-wise landscape is one of the best ways to save water for the long run. To find out if you qualify for a lawn conversion project through Lawn Busters, visit the program website.

Lawn Busters also offers workshops or tutorial videos for non-eligible residents interested in a lawn conversion project. And the water district’s Landscape Rebate Program can help! Just make sure to schedule a pre-inspection visit before starting any work.

For more information or to get started, click here or call our Water Conservation Hotline at (408) 630-2554.