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New rebates, rules in response to drought

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The City of San Diego reinstated its turf replacement rebate program on Wednesday, a $1.2 million effort to help its water customers, including Rancho Bernardans, switch to drought-resistant landscaping.

Rebates are available on a first-come basis and water customers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible since funding was depleted within a week the last time rebates became available. Turf replacement rebates are for those who replace grass with native or drought-resistant landscaping. Rain barrel and micro-irrigation rebates also became available on Wednesday. For details, go to www.wastenowater.org.

The city’s new water-use restrictions also went into effect on Wednesday after the City Council unanimously voted on Monday to implement them for residences and businesses. They include limiting outdoor watering to five minutes per station on two assigned days a week.

Homes with odd numbered addresses can only irrigate on Sundays and Thursdays, while those with even numbered addresses are limited to Saturdays and Wednesdays. Apartments, condos and businesses are limited to irrigating on Mondays and Fridays.

“The best way to conserve is to reduce watering outdoors or take advantage of rebates to replace your lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “We’re all in this together. It’s time to change the way we think about water. Let’s conserve today for a better tomorrow.”

According to city officials, outdoor irrigation accounts for more than 50 percent of residential water use so it represents the most effective way to reduce water consumption and for the city to meet a state mandate to lower its overall water use by 16 percent.

The city will also be doing its part by significantly reducing potable water use by its Park and Recreation Department, the largest water user in city government. Measures include reducing irrigation to two times a week for passive turf areas within parks, such as well-utilized areas around picnic areas, playgrounds and athletic fields, plus shrub areas; eliminating the use of potable water for irrigation in dog off-leash areas and turf medians except as needed to preserve trees; utilizing drought-tolerant landscaping for new parks; and exploring ways to save water at recreation centers, comfort stations, pools and showers.

Meanwhile, Poway officials are planning to hold a public workshop on water conservation, and the possible effects of the ongoing drought on water rates, at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 16 in the council chambers.

While San Diego is under a mandate to cut water usage by 16 percent, Poway is facing a 32 percent reduction from 2013 usage totals.

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