As the year comes to a close, new laws and regulations are set to bring changes to everyday life across California, from traffic-related measures to minimum wage increases.
One of the latest changes concerns how certain properties can use drinking water to maintain their lawns. Ahead of the statewide restrictions on decorative grass watering, Santa Monica is offering property owners rebates of up to $50,000 to replace water-intensive lawns with more sustainable landscaping.
What is the Cash for Grass program?
The city has expanded its Cash for Grass program, increasing the financial incentive for eligible property owners who remove decorative turf and replace it with sustainable landscaping. The rebate has gone up from $3.50 to $5 per square foot, while the maximum amount available per customer account has increased from $10,000 to $50,000, according to a City Council staff report.
The city estimates that commercial, institutional, industrial, and HOA properties have approximately 650,000 square feet of nonfunctional turf. Replacing those areas with sustainable landscaping could save around 21 million gallons of water annually once the statewide requirements are fully implemented.
Santa Monica also offers free landscape assessments through the Metropolitan Water District for eligible commercial, institutional, and HOA properties with more than one acre of landscaped space. These assessments can help identify which areas qualify as nonfunctional turf and recommend ways to replace them.
California’s new decorative grass watering ban
The restrictions stem from Assembly Bill 1572, which aims to conserve drinking water by prohibiting its use to irrigate nonfunctional turf, meaning grass maintained primarily for decorative purposes rather than recreation or community activities.
The statewide rollout begins on January 1, 2027, with restrictions taking effect in phases based on the type of land use. Those who fail to comply could face civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day under California’s water enforcement provisions.
The law applies to different types of properties on separate deadlines:
- January 1, 2027: Properties owned by local governments, public agencies, and public water systems.
- January 1, 2028: Commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, including office buildings and shopping centers.
- January 1, 2029: Common areas maintained by homeowners associations (HOAs), common-interest developments, and similar community organizations.
- January 1, 2031: Certain public properties in disadvantaged communities, subject to state funding availability.
The restrictions do not apply to single-family homes or apartment buildings that are not governed by an HOA. Recreational areas such as parks, playgrounds, sports fields, and picnic areas are also exempt. Cemeteries are excluded, too.
Importantly, the law does not require property owners to remove their existing grass. It prohibits watering nonfunctional turf with potable water. Recycled water can still be used, and certain exceptions allow watering to protect trees and other perennial plants.
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