Lawn replacement rebate annual water savings tops four billion gallons

Southern Nevada's innovative Water Smart Landscapes program has reached a new milestone, yielding a savings of more than 4 billion gallons annually.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA) Water Smart Landscapes program offers residents and businesses a cash rebate for each square foot of grass upgraded to water-efficient plants and shrubs, leading thousands of Southern Nevadans to embrace the beauty of drought-tolerant landscaping.

Since the program began in 1999, more than 28,000 homes and businesses have participated, removing more than 100 million square feet of grass.

Research shows that rapidly growing cities throughout the western United States are facing the same challenge: how to meet the public's water demands without diminishing their residents' quality of life.

"It's not whether we grow, but how we grow," said Patricia Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. "Responsible water use is the key, and that starts with reducing outdoor water use."

Southern Nevadans consumed 15 billion gallons less water in 2007 than in 2002, despite the addition of 400,000 residents during that span and more than 40 million visitors in 2007.

The SNWA is leading the way in water conservation. Its aggressive "Water Smart" campaigns stress compliance with mandatory watering schedules, implementing water-efficient landscaping and technologies, and include a Water Smart Home program, which appeals to the conservation-savvy home buyer.