KTLA

LADWP Turf Rebate Saves Less Water Per Dollar Than Other Conservation Efforts: Audit

Richard Delgado, 65, replaces most of the turf in his front yard with three different colors of bark in the San Fernando Valley in June 2015. (Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles’ turf rebate program saved less water per dollar spent than other Department of Water and Power conservation programs, an audit released by the city controller said Friday.

Auditors found that money spent for rebates on items such as high-efficiency appliances yielded a water savings almost five times higher than turf replacement. They also found that DWP does not prioritize water conservation projects based on which are the most cost effective.

City Controller Ron Galperin called on the water provider to focus its conservation programs in order to achieve more sustained and cost-effective water savings.

“If money is no object, turf replacement rebates are a relatively expedient way to save water,” Galperin said. “But, of course, money is an object.”

Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com.