Cedar City residents now get paid to remove their grass via new Utah turf removal program

Residents in drought-wary Cedar City have a new option to pursue water conservation, with officials announcing on Tuesday that they will pay people to remove their lawns.

Water managers are now taking applications for a program that could pay up to $1.50 per square foot for residents who replace their water-guzzling grass with drought-resistant landscaping. The funding is capped at a maximum of $50,000 per property.

To qualify for the state funding behind the program, the city had to approve a specific set of conservation ordinances, the last of which was passed on May 24, according to city officials.

“Our residents who participate in the new turf removal program or new construction conservation standards will help our city conserve precious water, save themselves money on new water billing tiers, beautify their yards, and reduce maintenance time,” said Terri Hartley, a member of both the Cedar City Council and the Water Conservancy District Board Member.

To qualify for the program, residents must let city staff show up for an inspection and approval of a proposed plan.

Funding for the plan comes from money set aside by the state Legislature for a statewide grass removal rebate program.

Not all residents are eligible, though, as individual cities, towns and other local governments must first adopt a series of water-efficient landscaping ordinances.

Applications must be filled out online via www.utahwatersavers.com, where applicants start by identifying their water supplier.

Turf removal programs have proven successful in desert cities like Las Vegas, dropping per-capita use but have been slow to develop in Utah, with water managers often citing a lack of funding.

In southwestern Utah, the hottest and driest corner of the state, the demand for a program has increased in recent years due to drought, declining reservoir storage and controversy surrounding projects like the Lake Powell Pipeline proposed in Washington County and the Pine Valley pipeline project proposed in Iron County.

The Washington County Water Conservancy District offers a similar program in St. George and surrounding areas. Applications for that program are available on the agency's website, www.wcwcd.org.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Cedar City residents can get paid to remove their lawns