A new Tucson Water initiative will help pay for Tucson businesses and apartment complexes to switch out grass for more eco-friendly desert landscaping.
The new rebate program is part of a new $1.8 million grant from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona to incentivize commercial and multifamily customers to remove ornamental turf grass that doesn’t have a big recreational benefit.
“We really see this as an opportunity to help lessen the burden on our customers,” said Candice Rupprecht, Tucson Water’s conservation manager.
The program will be available for any Tucson Water commercial or multifamily customer with ornamental grass lawn and offers a rebate of $5 per square foot of ornamental grass removed, up to 20,000 square feet.
“We have heard from customers asking about turf removal incentives for quite a while now, so we’re excited to have this grant money because it allows us to help customers make this decision.” Rupprecht said. “We’ve already heard from several commercial and multifamily customers who are interested.”
Rupprecht said that removing turf is a great way for businesses to save money on water usage.
“A turf removal program saves water because desert landscapes use less (water) than grass. It also decreases the amount of fertilizer that’s needed,” Rupprecht said.
While this program is new to Tucson, other heat-prone cities across the U.S. have already initiated similar projects with great success.
“Tucson talks a lot with communities in the Phoenix area,” Rupprecht said. “Scottsdale, Chandler, Glendale, they all have had turf removal programs running for a while and they’ve seen good results from it, as well as Las Vegas and communities in the Los Angeles area.”
A similar incentive rebate program in Scottsdale saw an increase of nearly 550% compared to the previous year, and more than 401,000 square feet of grass were removed, totaling more than 20 million gallons of water saved, according to its website.
Through its own rebate program, Tucson Water aims to remove 200,000 square feet of turf over the next two years from commercial and multifamily properties, which Rupprecht said she expects will save about 7.5 million gallons of water per year.
Tracy Wilkinson, owner of Salon de Nouveau in Tucson, began the process of turf removal last fall as an early trial for the rebate program.
After purchasing her business and the building on East Fort Lowell Road between North Campbell Avenue and North Tucson Boulevard, Wilkinson began searching out efficient and environmentally friendly ways to reduce waste produced by the salon, including participating in Green Circle Salons to recycle salon materials and installing water conscious faucets.
“There’s so much in the beauty industry that we don’t think about that does cause a lot of trash.” Wilkinson said. “As a single person, I just didn’t think about that much, but taking over the business I was like oh shoot, I have control over a lot now.”
One major switch Wilkinson wanted to make was getting rid of her unused grass.
“I have a number of hydrology clients, I had been asked many times, ‘What are you doing with that grass?’” Wilkinson said.” “So when I had the opportunity to fix it, that was top of my list.”
With the support of Tucson Water, Wilkinson began the process of transforming her business’s lawn into a more environmentally conscious and budget friendly desert landscape. The final plans include adding native milkweed to create a waystation for Monarch butterflies.
The full cost for the landscaping Wilkinson said was $2,500, but because of the rebate from Tucson Water, the out-of-pocket cost for Wilkinson will be much lower.
“It was just an added benefit to me because I was going to do it anyway, and it was great to know the right plants,” Wilkinson said.
She said she has already seen a dramatic difference in her monthly expenses.
“I noticed immediate savings. I save at least $100 a month,” Wilkinson said.
Aside from saving her business money, Wilkinson said that the switch to eco-friendly landscaping shows her clients and employees her commitment to the environment.
“It’s better for the environment and good for business,” Wilkinson said.
Those looking to take advantage of this offer will first need to submit a new landscape plan with the city of Tucson Planning and Development Services Department for review. Those interested can also file an interest form with the city. The rebate program is set to begin in July.
“Once the customer has actually taken off the grass and put in the new landscape, they’ll come back to Tucson Water and request that rebate,” Rupprecht said.
Tucson Water recommends that interested customers contract with a landscaper or the landscaping company that has completed the Smartscape program.
“Someone who’s gone through that has demonstrated a sufficient level of understanding and how to design and install an irrigation system, how to plant plants correctly, and how to select plants for our desert environment,” Rupprecht said.
To Rupprecht, the rebate incentive program represents a new step in creating more resilient landscapes.
“We’re asking customers to replace the grass with species that grow and thrive in the desert so it creates a more resilient ecosystem, both for humans and for wildlife alike,” Rupprecht said.
“It’s a really visible way to show the community that Tucsonans are invested in water conservation,” Rupprecht said. “Making that transformation to an Arizona friendly landscape is a very prominent reminder that Tucsonans are committed to living and thriving in the desert.”
