Water-Use Efficiency Rebates for Businesses

Summer means water conservation across San Diego County

As extreme drought grips the Southwest, businesses across California are taking a variety of water-saving actions. In fact, the State of California has banned watering grass in commercial-industrial-institutional settings that is “solely ornamental” and not regularly used for recreational purposes or community events.

Thankfully, the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies offer incentives such as rebates and other resources to help businesses save money while saving water.

Incentives for Business Property Owners
From turf conversions to increasing the use of recycled water, there are numerous opportunities to improve water efficiency on commercial properties. Rebates and resources for business property owners include:

• A partnership between the County of San Diego’s Watershed Protection Program and the San Diego County Water Authority allows businesses in unincorporated areas of the county to apply for enhanced water-use efficiency rebates. The Waterscape Rebate Program saves money for residential, commercial, and agricultural customers who make landscape upgrades to improve the region’s climate resilience.  
• SoCalWaterSmart’s Commercial Turf Replacement Program offers great incentives for HOAs and commercial landscapes. Businesses that convert 1 acre or more of irrigated landscapes can also apply for the WaterSmart Contractor Incentive Program, which offers rebates for irrigation devices such as controllers and nozzles.  
• The Metropolitan Water District’s On-Site Retrofit Program provides financial incentives to public or private property owners to convert potable water irrigation or industrial water systems to recycled water service.
• Certified landscape irrigation auditors provide free, on-site WaterSmart Irrigation Checkups and written, site-specific water-saving recommendations for qualifying commercial properties in the Water Authority’s service area.
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To learn more about the Water Authority’s programs and drought response, as well as more information about state regulations, click here.