‘Grass doesn’t belong everywhere’: Utah officials roll out statewide turf-removal incentive program

ST. GEORGE — The introduction of a statewide program to replace ornamental, water-sucking grass with more water-efficient landscaping was the focus of a press conference held in Northern Utah on Monday morning that included officials from Washington County.

L-R: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox shakes the hand of Washington County Water Conversancy District general manager Zach Renstrom, West Jordan, Utah, May 2, 2023 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, St. George News

Touted as the nation’s first statewide landscape incentive program, Gov. Spencer Cox and others spoke to the new program and its accompanying advertising campaign at the Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan.

“We need to be more efficient with how we use our water supply,” Cox said in a press release. “We’ve made great strides in reducing our per capita water use, but we’re still one of the nation’s fastest-growing and driest states. We have to do more, individually and collectively. Replacing non-functional grass is a small step that makes a big difference.”

The program specifically targets the removal of ornamental, or non-functional grass, that serves no other purpose than to help a property look more attractive and occasionally be mowed. People who replace non-functional grass with water-wise landscaping can apply for a rebate of up to $3 per square foot of removed turf.

This incentive program received $3 million in ongoing annual funds and $5 million in one-time funding in 2023 from the Utah Legislature, and $5 million in one-time funds in 2022.

In this file photo, examples of xeriscaping (water-wise landscaping) at the Red Cliffs Desert Garden, St. George, Utah, Feb. 15, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

State funds are available to property owners that live in municipalities that have adopted water efficiency standards and will be matched in areas served by Central Utah, Jordan Valley, Washington County, and Weber Basin water conservancy districts.

If the program sounds familiar, it is because the Washington County Water Conservancy District implemented it in December with a $2 per square foot rebate offer. The rebate amount people can receive can vary from region to region.

As it is estimated that around 60% of the water Utahns use goes to outdoor watering, removing non-functional grass and replacing it with something that consumes less water and is easier to maintain has become an increasing focus in local and state water conservation efforts.

That focus can be seen in ordinances passed by Washington County’s municipalities for new construction that are considered to be the most restrictive in the state related to water conservation.

“All of Washington County’s major population centers have banned non-functional grass in all new commercial, industrial and institutional developments,” Washington City Mayor Kress Staheli said at Monday’s event.

In this file photo, volunteers installing water-wise plants in a spot previously occupied by non-functional turf at Unity Park as a part of the Flip Blitz campaign, Ivins, Utah, May 19, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

Grass for new residential developments is limited to 8% of a lot’s size with a cap on the square footage for larger lot sizes, Staheli added.

Like other cities in the county, Washington City passed its version of the conservation ordinance last year after many meetings of ironing out the details and consulting with the water district.

“It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do,” Staheli said. “As we are learning today, grass doesn’t belong everywhere.”

Advertisements spreading the word of the incentive program will appear on billboards statewide, social media and more, according to the press release about the program.

More information on the grass replacement incentive program and other money- and water-saving rebates are available online at UtahWaterSavers.com.

The program varies regionally based on criteria established by individual water conservancy districts and the Utah Division of Water Resources. A list of cities that currently qualify for landscape incentives is posted online.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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