Home & Garden: SVWD offers landscape rebates and grants to homeowners and businesses

The Scotts Valley Water District recently announced that it has state grant monies available to homeowners and businesses to encourage healthy and sustainable gardens and landscapes that send less waste to the landfill, conserve water and energy, and manage stormwater as a resource. 
According to a press release, grants are available up to $500 per site for rainwater harvesting, re-directing downspouts, replacing turf, and adding permeable hardscapes. The funding comes courtesy of a Proposition 84 green infrastructure planning grant from the State Water Board, and administered by Ecology Action. The grants’ are meant to focus on maximizing water and energy conservation.
“These monies augment the rebates that are already available to our customers,” said SVWD Water Use Efficiency Coordinator LeAnne Ravinale. “In addition, the Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping Program is also available in Scotts Valley to publicly recognize and incentivize those who have invested in ecological landscape improvements.”
Businesses and multi-family housing homeowners’ associations with certified landscapes will receive public recognition on www.green-gardener.org, a sign — if desired, and marketing material to show their clients they have invested in a greener, less-toxic environment in which to live and work.
Real estate agents and property managers can certify landscapes of properties for sale or lease and use the program standards to create curb appeal that markets a low-maintenance, green-living environment instead of a thirsty lawn.
The water district itself has made changes to set a more accurate example, the release stated.
“In order to ‘walk our talk,’ the water district has just made changes to our landscape in order for it to be certified for the Bay Friendly Program,” Ravinale said. “We saw that our demonstration garden needed a little upgrading to meet all of the 10 simple requirements. With those changes, we’re enjoying our own garden even more.”
For more information on landscape rebates, certification or grant monies, call 600-1907, email co**********@sv**.org or visit svwd.org.