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
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District and take before photos of the existing yard first.
- 3
Do the work
Complete the project, take before and after photos, and save every receipt.
- 4
Submit your application
Send Coachella Water Authority & Sanitary District the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
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.