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It's been a hot, dry summer…does your lawn need a little help this fall? Perhaps it's time to rethink your landscape with more drought-tolerant choices. San Antonio Water System is here to help with a drought recovery toolkit offering incentives to homeowners for drought-smart alternatives, such as mulched plant beds, a redesigned irrigation system, and "hardscapes" like patios or decks.

"Lots of turf grass is suffering after such a hot, dry summer, leading many people to rethink their landscapes this fall," said Karen Guz, SAWS conservation director. "We hope to encourage San Antonians to invest in water-efficient options such as mulched beds or hardscapes that will manage better through the next dry summer."

Alternatives provide options that reduce water needs while still maintaining an attractive landscape to enhance your property's value. SAWS Drought Recovery Toolkit options, available only for a limited time and while funds are available, offer rebates for both residential and commercial customers:

• New Beds and Mulch rebate: Provides a $50 rebate for removing turf and replacing it with new beds that have at least three cubic yards of mulch. This will cover about 500 square feet of landscape with the recommended two inches of mulch, which you can later plant with drought-tolerant and native plants.
• Turf-to-Hardscape rebate: Offers up to $150 credit for converting at least 500 square feet of turf to a pervious hardscape, such as a patio or deck constructed to allow rain to reach the ground below. Examples are flagstone set in sand, decomposed granite, or a wood deck built over the ground.
• Irrigation Design rebate: Both residential and commercial customers can receive rebates for working with SAWS to identify improvements for the property's irrigation system, such as converting areas to drip irrigation or capping off zones. Residential customers can receive rebates of up to $400 and commercial customers up to $3,200, depending on the type of changes made.

Click here for more information on the Drought Recovery Toolkit, including rebate applications as well as rules and qualifications for applying. In addition, SAWS also offers a Watersaver Landscape rebate of up to $525 for yards that are redesigned to save water and money. Watersaver Landscapes have less than half of the yard planted in turf, and include select shrubs, plants and trees that use less water. You can also sign up for the WaterSaver eNewsletter, a weekly publication with landscape watering advice, gardening tips and tricks, and information on upcoming events.