AURORA, Colo. — The official start of spring is less than two weeks away, and as homeowners make their landscaping plans, Aurora Water is offering to cover some of the bill.
"I couldn't fathom how much money I put into it," Raymond Jeffries said of the yard on his corner lot home that he moved into back in 1997. "My water bill is atrocious at times, because I'm trying to get it to grow. And it doesn't matter what I'm doing to it."
According to Aurora Water, every 1,000 square feet of grass requires about 17,500 gallons of water if the lawn is set up as 100% efficient, which is very difficult to achieve.
The department is accepting applications for their Grass Replacement Incentive Program (GRIP) to homeowners who want to swap out traditional lawns for things like mulch, rock and drought resistant plants.
"We offer funds to help cover the cost of the materials and a portion of some of the other costs, like labor disposal fees, tool rentals, those kind of things. For residential, the total maximum amount that somebody is eligible for is $4,000. That's $3,000 towards materials and $1,000 for those other items, " said Tim York, Aurora's Water conservation manager.
To qualify, applicants need to remove at least 500 square feet of existing grass lawn from a front yard. The rebates are offered once a year, and it is possible to apply a second or third time to complete your entire yard.
The city also offers free landscaping design classes and ideas for homeowners looking for a starting point. It's all in an effort to save more water.
"We're getting to a place where the community understands where we're at from a water supply standpoint," said York, " [The community] is really embracing the need to make changes in those areas where they just don't need turf."
Homeowners will receive 65% of their rebate as soon as the project is complete, the rest is paid out after the following growing season.
"We want to make sure that the money that we're spending to convert these landscapes, we're actually seeing the water savings, which is why we kind of have that pay for performance," said York.
The program is also available for large properties, commercial developments and HOA common spaces. The funding rules and requirements are different than the residential program, and the reimbursement is determined on a case to case basis.
Click here for more information on GRIP and how to sign up.
