Austin Water began a new rebate program on July 1, 2010, named the Landscape Conversion Incentive Program. This program is part of Austin’s larger plan to become one of the greenest cities in the nation. It is also a great way to promote efficient use of water in our landscapes and help us to the road to sustainable living. Not only that, but you get free money for participating in the program, too. Austin Water provides resources to help you determine the best native plants and designs for your landscaping projects. If you are interested in participating in the program you can visit the Austin Water website or access the form by clicking on this hyperlink, Landscape Conversion Incentive Rebate Form.
To be eligible for the program, you need to have started your xeriscaping project after July 1, 2010. Requirements include before and after pictures, a minimum of 500 square feet used for the conversion, and you need to choose between a native (irrigated) or non-irrigated landscape plans. The native plan will rebate $20 per 100 square feet. The non-irrigated plan will rebate $30 per 100 square feet. Further information can be found on the rebate form, applications are accepted twice a year.
If you need more information on how to xeriscape your lawn or on native plants for Texas, you can find many resources online. Remember to search for plants that are low-water and native to zone 8 for Austin, Texas. The USDA has an online database full of information on different types of plants available to various zones across the USA, along with information on invasive species, water usage, growth rate, and plant characteristics. If you are interested helping preserve our Texas native plants, you can find a lot of information at the Native Plant Society of Texas.
This is a great way to help Austin become the greenest city in the nation. It not only benefits Austin, but it will help you by lowering your water-usage (and save money), lower lawn maintenance, and a benefit of xeriscaped landscapes is that they are pollution, fertilizer, and pesticide free.
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