Water authority extending rebate program for removing grass in Southern Nevada

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is extending its Water Smart Landscape rebate initiative, saying the program that helps homeowners replace their grass with desert landscaping will continue until funds expire.

The water authority received $24 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to continue the program, said Corey Enus, public outreach supervisor for the authority and the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

“Our single-family participation has been wonderful,” said Colby Pellegrino, the water authority’s deputy general manager. “We’re really seeing that the community (is) really embracing (the program).”

Since 1999, the program has converted 232 million square feet of lawns and issued about $345 million in rebates, Enus said. It annually saves nearly 13 billion gallons of water — 55 gallons of water for every square-foot of grass that’s removed.

“What we really focus on when it comes to water conservation (and) extending our water resources is consumptive uses,” Pellegrino said.

The program has allowed commercial and residential customers to get a rebate from the water authority to replace grass with water-efficient landscaping by watering trees and plants using drip irrigation, said Bronson Mack, public information officer for the agency.

The rebate — $5 per every square foot of grass removed for the initial 10,000 square feet; $3.50 thereafter — will be available for applications through Dec. 31. Applicants must have their project completed by the end of 2025, Pellegrino said.

“We’re really impressed by our single-family participation,” Pellegrino said. “It’s actually outpaced where we thought we would be.”

The program does not apply to grass that must be removed under Assembly Bill 356, a law that prohibits the use of Colorado River water to water nonfunctional grass, by the end of 2026. The law applies to businesses, apartments and government facilities around Southern Nevada.

“We’re finding that the community is behind the benchmarks for that turf that’s required by state law,” Pellegrino said. “We’re going to try and get more specific so that the people who are required to remove that turf by the end of 2026 are well aware.”

Additionally, the program rebate for nonfunctional grass will decrease from $3 per square foot to $2 per square foot for business, apartments and HOA communities, Mack said.

“Grass is the highest consumptive use of water in the valley,” Pellegrino said. “Getting out this turf helps lower your water bill, but it also helps our community have a more sustainable watershed.”