AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Water is hoping drought conditions will encourage people to take a second look at the city's Water-wise program.
Aurora Water will pay customers to replace their traditional yards with native and low-water use plants.
"It's really really important because we use about 40% of our potable water - water that's treated - we use it outside on the landscape," Aurora Water Conservation Supervisor Diana Denwood said.
"It's not about health and safety at that point. We're using it on our landscape. So let's use it on our landscapes that are actually doing more for us than non-functional turf is doing," Denwood said.
Most turfs in Aurora are comprised of Kentucky bluegrass, which thrives in Kentucky. The Bluegrass State receives 42 to 52 inches of precipitation annually. Aurora, in contrast, has a high-desert climate and receives less than 15 inches of water annually.
Keeping bluegrass lush and green in Colorado requires significant supplemental water. About half of the water used during the growing season goes toward quenching turf’s thirst.
"It's saving water. It's beautiful. It's really good for wildlife and native plants. We're also doing this great thing for ourselves. We're reducing our water bills and we're creating habitat for native pollinators and other native wildlife," Denwood said.
Water is a limited resource, and with the climate becoming hotter and drier, Aurora Water suggests rethinking the role Kentucky bluegrass plays in yards. The utility recommends limiting high-water grass to areas such as backyards where families gather and children and pets play.
According to Aurora Water, to assist customers, water conservation specialists will walk residents through the process of converting water-guzzling turf lawns to water-wise landscapes.
The GRIP (Grass Replacement Incentive Program) rebate is issued as a one-time payment via check. The program pays $3 per square foot for a traditional water-wise landscape, which combines low-water shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses with mulch and landscape features. Customers can also receive $0.50 per square foot for a water-wise grass landscape using native or low-water grass.
Aurora Water must approve all projects before installation, and rebates are not retroactive. Areas to be converted must have existing, irrigated and well-maintained grass. Yards that contain barren soil or significant bare patches of soil and weeds do not qualify.
Residential projects can include front yards, sides, backyards and curbside landscapes. Projects can be completed in phases over multiple years.
Aurora Water conservation staff will finalize the project area's size and the total rebate amount. The size is measured in square feet and rounded up to the nearest square foot.
Water conservation rebates of $600 or more are considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service. Participants must submit a W-9 form in their application and will receive a 1099 form.
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