PALMDALE – Funding for Palmdale Water District’s “Cash for Grass Program” is depleted, so the District is no longer accepting applications, company officials announced Thursday.
“The program is being altered to an incentive conservation based approach, rather than through an assessment of the quality of the lawn,” officials said in a news release. “Residents who are interested in participating will fill out an application, in the coming weeks, and be put on a waiting list until new funding becomes available.”
This year, $236,000 was allocated for all rebate programs offered by the District, and $231,167 has been committed in Cash for Grass funds alone, leaving little room to continue offering any rebates to the community, according to the Palmdale Water District.
“We are grateful for the willingness of our residents whom participated in our programs,” stated Gloria Dizmang, Director of the Palmdale Water Board. “We understand the great sacrifices our community continues to make by removing their lawns which many take great pride in maintaining, to help conserve our community’s resources.”
The board of directors on Wednesday approved a $14,000 transfer of funds back into the exhausted rebate budget to continue assisting the community with the purchase of indoor water saving appliances.
“It is our highest priority to provide effective solutions to assist those individuals who are doing their part to conserve our community’s resources,” stated Dennis LaMoreaux, General Manager of the Palmdale Water District. “Only as a community we are able to achieve what is necessary during these difficult times.”
For more information regarding the Palmdale Water District’s rebate options, visit www.palmdalewater.org.
Steve says
FYI, buried in the back yard of a tract home built on my old place at 47th and S-8 east exists a 600′ deep well that produced 1500 gallons per min. in the 88-89 time period. PWD was given the chance to buy it, but they refused, they claimed they had all the water that was needed.
My Grandfather Franklin was right, PID later PWD should have been put out of business and that statement was made in the 20’s.
William says
In other news….
“For the first time in nearly 40 years, state regulators are telling more than 100 growers and irrigation districts with some of the oldest water rights in California that they have to stop drawing supplies from drought-starved rivers and streams in the Central Valley.” -LA Times.
At least the state is looking at water rights from the Gold Rush days. High time.
AVNative says
According to PWD guidelines for “CASH FOR GRASS” you have to have green grass in good condition to qualify for the rebate. While we are on the waiting list our grass will be dead and no longer will qualify for the rebate. After almost two weeks watering 2x a week the grass is looking pretty stressed. Way to go PWD. You will get your extra money from fines and not have to give any rebates. I have heard that the rebate only covers part of the new landscaping unless you do all the labor yourself.
Earl says
The PWD doesn’t fine for brown lawns. The City of Palmdale would, but they have opted to not enforce the statute that calls for green lawns and will put more focus on lawns that are unkempt, such as those that have weeds growing a foot tall in the yard. As long as you still maintain your browning lawn, you should be fine reducing your water usage.
AVNative says
My brown landscape will not qualify for the “Cash for Grass” rebate. PWD will be collecting fines for people going over their tier 1 allotment.
dumbandblind says
Hahahahaha the AV is a desert. If you want grass anywhere near this place good luck.
Really says
You’ll take our fine money, but you won’t give us a break if we lose our lawn! Why am I not hearing about pools?! If I can’t have my lawn, why do you have a pool full of water, or why is there a mile of lawn along Ave S?! It’s ok for the city to look good, but not the home owners!
John says
Anything COP does to make Palmdale look better is the equivalent to lipstick on a pig.
Tim Scott says
A pool consumes less water than an equivalent area of lawn. Capacity does not equal consumption.
It is also notable that the “mile of lawn along Avenue S” is watered with reclaimed water from the sewage treatment plant. If you want to foot the bill to run a reclaimed water line to your house and connect it to your sprinklers you will have my deepest respect.
William says
@Tim Scott
Now you know what it’s like to talk to rocks or as someone once said of Sarah Palin’s commentaries on fox ‘news’ –
“Now the scribes at fox know what it’s like to be stoned and trying to teach your cat to say its name”.
Denise says
Reclaimed water is a great concept . How many functioning lines does the city have?
Tim Scott says
I dunno. Every park is connected. I would guess that you could get a map of the lines from the city.
Seems like anyone who was willing to pay for installation of a metered tap line off an existing line would probably be a welcomed customer. I’m sure there is no shortage of reclaimed water.
I don’t know what would be required in terms of meeting the regulations on usage. Having no connection between the reclaimed water line and sprinkler system with the house line potable water, obviously, but other than that I can’t guess.
Tim Scott says
A little quick research revealed a problem with my former reply.
The reclaimed water system was built for city use. The applicable city department has no provision for managing billing, collection, or anything else associated with selling off the reclaimed water on a house to house basis. So for this to work such an organization would have to be created within the city government.
I personally think this is something that an active citizenry should encourage the city to pursue, but have to say that just tapping in on an individual basis is not as easy as I was suggesting. I apologize for my error.