California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
Mayor Karen Bass and State and local water officials held a press conference in Los Angeles yesterday to announce the City will be receiving $19.1 million in grants from the State for climate resilience projects, including one that will pay for free yard transformations in underserved LA communities.
More than $14 million from the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Urban Community Drought Relief Grant Program will fund a free lawn replacement program. Under the program set to launch in 2024, qualifying Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) customers with single-family homes in LA’s underserved communities can have their lawns replaced — at no cost to them – with water-efficient landscapes installed by professional landscapers under contract with LADWP.
“We will continue to lead Los Angeles to a new era of sustainability that supports frontline communities while making major investments in water efficiency and creating good-paying jobs in the process — and this funding does just that,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I urge every eligible resident to embrace this opportunity. Together, with shared vision and collective action, we can ensure a resilient, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Let’s rise to the occasion and make Los Angeles a beacon of hope in the face of climate change.”
LADWP estimates the direct install program could replace up to 1.75 million square feet of lawn over three years, translating into potential water savings of 77 million gallons each year, enough to serve nearly 3,000 LA customers per year.
The remainder of the State’s grant of $4.5 million will go toward the construction of the Dominguez Gap Recycled Water Project in the City of Wilmington. This pipeline connection is expected to supply LADWP with an additional 3.5 million gallons per day of advanced treated recycled water.
The Dominguez Gap Recycled Water Project is scheduled for completion by 2025.
