If you're looking to save money on your water bill, get cash, and help the environment, the City of Santa Barbara has a new rebate program that does all three.
The city's new lawn replacement and rainwater garden rebate program offers cash payments to customers who replace their water-thirsty lawns with water-wise gardens that can capture and filter stormwater.
"Ordinarily, stormwater runs off from your roofs, from your driveway, runs down into the street, into the curb and gutter, into a storm drain and eventually right to our creeks and ocean untreated," said Erin Markey with Santa Barbara's Creeks Division.
That untreated water carries pollutants to local creeks and oceans while contributing to flooding during storms. One solution is simply to disconnect your downspouts.
"These downspouts are what we call disconnected. They're not piped straight to the street. They're actually open to the landscaping so that water can actually spread out and soak into the ground when it rains," Markey explained.
In addition to that program, there is the lawn replacement and rain garden effort, already in effect at the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors' headquarters, which Madeline Wood with the City of Santa Barbara says has saved the owners a lot of money.
"They reduced their water use by 79%," Markey said. "Customers can save money on their water bill by reducing their water use with a low-water-use landscape."
This new rebate offers customers even more ways to save and earn money:
- Up to $3 per square foot for replacing lawns with water-wise plants
- An additional $2 per square foot for creating rain gardens that capture stormwater
- Combined rebates can reach up to $5 per square foot
- Single-family homes and small multi-family residential (1–4 dwelling units) can receive up to $5,000 per property
- Commercial and large multi-family properties (5+ dwelling units) can earn up to $15,000
Beyond the financial incentives, the converted landscapes provide multiple environmental benefits.
"We get improved water quality, we get improved resiliency against flooding but also drought, as we're kind of using that water to irrigate environments that otherwise would use potable water," Markey said.
The program is not retroactive, so interested homeowners must apply before making any changes to their landscaping. The city requires advance approval and a meeting with staff before work begins.
More information about the rebate program and application process is available on the city's website, https://santabarbaraca.gov/LawnRebatehttps://santabarbaraca.gov/LawnRebate
