According to the Environmental Protection Agency, lawn care accounts for a national average of 50 percent of all household water use annually. Ouch.
In this Albuquerque Journal story by John Fleck, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is working to reduce high-water use household and some commercial lawns by is increasing the rebate for lawn removal and installation of xeric landscaping.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2012 the rebate for replacing water-hogging grass with less-thirsty xeriscape will increase from $.75/sq. ft. to $1.00/sq.ft. Of course, some limitations apply, so here are all the details. This link has the old $.75 rebate, I assume it will change to $1.00 after Jan. 1.
The City of Albuquerque also others other outdoor water-saving rebates including money off the cost of multi-setting sprinkler controllers, grass removal equipment rental, rainwater harvesting rebates and more.
Can’t think of a better resolution for 2012 than to go xeric.
On another nerdy topic, can we talk about how the name “Water Authority” always makes me think of the water-controlling e-Protectorate in that 80s classic Solarbabies?
