Businesses and institutions gearing up to comply with a new state ban on using potable drinking water to irrigate non-functional lawns will soon get additional help from Metropolitan to transform turf into more sustainable landscaping, thanks to a state grant. The California Department of Water Resources presented a $38 million check to Metropolitan officials earlier this month as part of its Urban Community Drought Relief program.

The grant will help Metropolitan increase its turf replacement rebate for businesses and institutions from $2 to $3 a square foot in 2024. The funds will help offset costs to convert up to 30 million square feet of non-functional turf into water-efficient landscaping. In total, the program has directly resulted in the removal of about 218 million square feet of grass, saving enough water to serve about 68,000 households annually.

The state funding also supports two interagency water conservation initiatives. The first is a partnership between Metropolitan and SoCal Gas to provide no-cost direct installation of high efficiency fixtures, such as weather-based irrigation controllers and more efficient clothes washers, to income-eligible households. The second is a Metropolitan-sponsored program to support local public fire departments in purchasing water-recirculating units that conserve water during essential training exercises.



Read the press release.

Metropolitan’s Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water is a coordinated regional planning effort to secure our collective water future amid a changing climate. Its goal is to increase water reliability for Metropolitan’s 26 member agencies, as well as promote water affordability for communities across our service area.

A newly formed CAMP4W joint task force, composed of Metropolitan board directors and general managers from Metropolitan’s member agencies, met for the first time on Nov. 21. The task force setup enables Metropolitan and its member agencies to collaborate publicly as they identify regional needs and investment priorities. Over the next year, the task force will develop and propose a regional plan to make the financial and infrastructure investments that will enable Southern California’s communities, environment and economy to thrive despite the potential impacts of a changing climate.

Watch a video on CAMP4W.

Metropolitan was honored on Tuesday, Nov. 28, for its continuing support of the Advanced Water Treatment Certification program, co-sponsored by the California-Nevada section of the American Water Works Association and the California Water Environment Association.

Since its inception in 2019, the program has certified over 200 drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment and water reuse operators. Metropolitan's nine operators who have completed the certification program also were recognized during the presentation.