California cash-for-grass program so popular amid drought that it may be expanded
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE- In this April 2, 2015 file photo, Denise Hurst shows her drought-tolerant garden she planted with the help of a city program that offers rebates of $3.50 per square foot for residents who tear up their water-guzzling lawns and plant drought-resistant plants that require little to no watering in Long Beach, Calif. A cash-for-grass program is proving so popular during California's drought that a water wholesaler is considering boosting the budget for turf replacement rebates. Board members of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will meet Tuesday, May 26, 2015, to discuss adding $350 million to its lawn rebate program. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) (The Associated Press)
A cash-for-grass program is proving so popular during California's drought that a water wholesaler is considering boosting the budget for turf replacement rebates.
Board members of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will meet Tuesday to discuss adding $350 million to its lawn rebate program. The program's current budget is $100 million.
Residents and businesses have rushed to request the rebates since April when Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory cuts in urban water usage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Under the program, the agency pays homeowners and businesses $2 per square foot to replace grass with drought-friendly landscaping.