City to offer loans for turf reduction

By Jeremy Twitchell

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | midnight

Since the Southern Nevada Water Authority began its Water Smart turf conversion program in 1999, Henderson residents have converted about 14 million square feet of turf into desert landscaping.

But City Council members and utility officials are more interested in another number - 30 percent, the amount of Water Smart participants who drop out of the program and don't convert their turf because of financial reasons or other concerns.

To bridge the funding gap, Henderson is launching a pilot program Sept. 2 that will allow residents to take out low-interest landscaping loans from the city.

The Water Smart program reimburses residents $1.50 for every square foot of turf removed and replaced by drought-tolerant landscaping, but some residents have been driven away, because they can't pay for the work out of their own pocket, said Kathleen Richards, spokeswoman for Henderson's Utility Services Department.

"The problem is that the rebate doesn't go into effect until after you've done the conversion, so you have to pay for the work up front," she said. "This program is meant to support people who want to conserve water but may be intimidated by the up-front costs."

Residents will be able to borrow up to $5,000 at a 3 percent interest rate for seven years. There is no early payment penalty.

There are no income limits to participate in the program, but applicants must pass a credit check, must be doing the work at a primary residence that is serviced by Henderson and must be accepted into the Water Smart program.

To be accepted into Water Smart, a resident's yard must be inspected by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. To get the Water Authority rebate, the final product must be inspected and approved as well, but for the city loan, a resident needs to only be admitted into the program. Guidelines for the program are available online at www.snwa.com/html/cons_wsl.html.

The reimbursement aspect of Water Smart can act as a deterrent to some customers, Water Authority Conservation Manager Doug Bennett said. The rebate also rarely covers the full cost of the conversion. Bennett said the average project costs $3 per square foot.

"You're investing that money up front," he said. "When you finish, we pay very quickly, but you still have to invest that money up front and that can be hard for some people."

The Water Authority estimates that every square foot of turf replaced with drought-tolerant plants conserves 55 gallons of water per year. The Water Smart Program has resulted in the conversion of more than 100 million square feet in Southern Nevada.

Bennett said he sees the Henderson program as an asset that he hopes will boost the completion rate of approved Water Smart projects, but said financial concerns are only one reason that up to 30 percent of those who are accepted into the program don’t follow through.

"Inasmuch as we all have projects around the home that we never get around to doing for whatever reason, the same thing happens here," he said. "It could be for financial reasons, but people are really busy. … People certainly have good intentions, but filling out a piece of paper is much easier than overhauling your landscape."

The Henderson program is the first of its kind in Southern Nevada. Bennett said other cities and Clark County will be watching it closely.

"We find it to be an innovative program," he said. "I think it's going to be interesting to watch and see what happens."

Henderson's Utility Services Department has set aside $250,000 for the program's first year and an additional $40,000 to advertise and run it. The loan program will be operated by the city’s Neighborhood Services Department.

"The initial amount will fund up to 50 applications, but if there's a really high demand, we'll be happy to fund more, because this program will pay for itself over the long run," Richards said.

Jeremy Twitchell is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].