How to Get the Turf Removal Rebate Program
Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District · Coachella Valley, Riverside County, CA
What you get
The Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District (CWASD), the City of Coachella water utility, pays $3 per square foot of potable-irrigated turf removed and replaced with water-friendly plants, up to $3,000. The converted area must reach at least 50% living plant cover at maturity (trees do not count), spray and rotor irrigation must be retrofitted to low-volume drip, and artificial turf and mulch-or-rock-only conversions do not qualify. Funding is limited and first come, first served. Separate from Coachella Valley Water District, which runs its own turf program (Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District, Conserve Coachella, last verified September 2026).
- Residential: $3 per square foot of turf removed, up to $3,000
Are you eligible?
- Be a Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District customer
- Property located in: Coachella
- Property receives water service from the City of Coachella (CWASD)
- Property owner applies, or submits a written letter of agreement from the owner
- Application approved and a rebate reservation issued before any turf is removed; reservations are valid 120 days
- Turf currently irrigated with potable water
- At least 50% living plant cover at maturity, trees excluded; no live turf left in the converted area
- Spray and rotor irrigation retrofitted to low-volume drip
- Artificial turf and mulch-or-rock-only conversions are not eligible
- Contact CWASD first if removing more than 1,000 square feet or converting more than 50% of the irrigated area
- Keep the conversion in compliance and maintained for 5 years or repay some or all of the rebate
Before you start
Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Turf Removal Rebate Program
These are the steps this application actually takes.
- 1
Measure your turf and plan for 50% plant cover
Measure the lawn you want to remove. Break odd shapes into rectangles, circles, and triangles, then add them up. Plan enough water-friendly plants to cover at least half the area when fully grown. Tre
- 2
Mail the application and email your photos
Fill in the application here, export your packet, and print it. Sign it, then mail the original with a copy of your water bill and driver's license to Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District, 53
- 3
Call 811, then finish within 120 days
Once you have your rebate reservation number, call Dig-Alert at 811 for clearance before you dig. Finish the project within 120 days of the date on your Rebate Reservation Confirmation. Do not damage
- 4
Send after photos and schedule the final inspection
Call the district at (760) 501-8100 to submit your after photos and set up the final inspection. Once approved, watch your mail for the rebate check. Keep the area in compliance for 5 years.
The call below also unlocks the ready-to-file packet for this program in the app.
Get help applying
Want a hand with the application?
A 30-minute call with Stephen, the founder. He reads the Turf Removal Rebate Program rules with you, tells you what to photograph and file first, and answers anything this page does not cover.
Confirm your project ZIP first. If this program does not serve your address, do not buy; check your city or utility on the rebates page instead.
One-time $29.99. Guidance, not filing: you submit to the program yourself. Not legal or financial advice. Rebate amounts and approval are decided by the program.
Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.
See a problem with a program? Report it
Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.
What people report after they apply
We ask people who filed Turf Removal Rebate Program whether it was approved, what they were paid, and how many days it took. A public payout time appears here only after 5 reports include a day count. Your dollar amount is stored and is not published on this page.