Modesto considers cash for grass

Modesto may join the growing number of California communities paying homeowners to take out their lawns as the state weathers a fourth year of a devastating drought.

Modesto officials expect to ask the City Council on June 23 to approve a pilot residential turf replacement program. Homeowners served by city water could apply, including those in Salida, Del Rio and the other surrounding communities that use city water. The program would start July 1 if approved by the council.

Homeowners would get 50 cents for each square foot of lawn they replace with drought-tolerant plants, certain types of artificial turf, rocks (concrete does not qualify) and other types of landscaping that use little or no water. The rebate is capped at $500 for 1,000 square feet of lawn per home.

The rebate would cover part of the cost of replacing a lawn. Representatives with several Modesto-area landscaping companies said it could cost $1,500 to $4,000 to replace 1,000 square feet of lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping, depending on the type and quality of materials used, the changes to the irrigation system, and how much of the work the homeowners do.

Water Systems Manager Dave Savidge said the 50 cents is based on Modesto surveying what Fresno, Roseville, Sacramento, Napa, Santa Cruz and Solano County offer in their cash-for-grass programs. He said the rebates for the six communities range from 50 cents to a $1 per square foot and their caps range from $250 to $1,000.

“I think it’s a good starting point,” Modesto Water Conservation Specialist Juan Tejeda said. “We want to reach as many people as we can with the incentive program.”

The proposed program has several provisions. Homeowners who already have taken out their lawns can’t apply; the lawn must be maintained and healthy; the city needs to approve homeowners’ plans; and they have 60 days to complete the project. The city also requires the conversion be maintained for five years, and it will issue one rebate per water customer.

Officials ask homeowners not to contact the city regarding the cash-for-grass program unless it is approved by the City Council.

Modesto is proposing to fund the pilot program with $100,000, which is enough for 200 homeowners if each one of them took the maximum rebate of $500 and replaced 1,000 square feet of grass. Savidge said the money comes from the city’s water fund, which has been stressed by the drought as customers use less water, meaning less revenue for the fund.

The program could make a difference over time. City officials have said watering lawns and other outdoor water use account for about half of Modesto’s water consumption. These incentive programs also have become increasingly popular across California.

“Water agencies around the state are finding tremendous interest among their customers,” said Lisa Lien-Mager, communications director for the Association of California Water Agencies, which states on its website that it represents 430 public water agencies. “... The feedback we are getting from our members is they are seeing a lot of interest in these programs and other rebate programs.”

Tejeda said Modesto’s water services division receives several calls a day from residents asking about a cash-for-grass program.

La Loma neighborhood homeowner Bob Tabler won’t qualify for the program because he is in the midst of taking out about a third of his front-yard lawn and replacing it with rock. He also will install drip irrigation for his trees.

But he said cash for grass is a good idea and is surprised the city did not consider it sooner. He said it’s important the city consider anything that would motivate people to save water, especially in a region that is so dependent upon agriculture.

This story was originally published May 30, 2015 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Modesto considers cash for grass."