The City of Bend is offering rebates to help residents convert their lawns into low-water use landscapes.
Bend water customers can earn up to $3,000 to replace their currently-planted grassy lawns with native plants, mulch, or other low-water use alternatives. Estimates suggest the city could save up to 10,000 gallons of water each year for a 1,000 square foot yard.
The new rebates are part of the City Water Conservation Program, which aims to stretch the city’s water supply as the population continues to grow.
According to program manager Dan Denning, spending money on water conservation will save the utility department millions in the long run.
“If we invest $10 million in conservation it would offset $21 million in infrastructure,” Denning said. “So it was actually cheaper to do conservation, and we wouldn’t need to put in two wells and a reservoir.”
Rebates will be available through 2024, or until the $75,000 fund is exhausted.