Landscape Conservation Rebate Program 

The City of Watsonville offers a $1.00/square foot rebate for customers to replace high water use lawns and landscapes with drought-tolerant plants and more efficient irrigation systems. The maximum rebate for residential customers is $1,000/year, and the maximum rebate for multi-family, commercial, and institutional customers is $2,000/year. 

How to Get this Rebate

1. Get pre-approved - English Application | Spanish Application
   Call the City of Watsonville Landscape Water Conservation (LWC) Program representative at (831) 325-3376 to schedule a pre-installation site visit. Be prepared to discuss how your landscape plan will conserve water.
2. Plan your new summer-dry landscape
   Prepare a landscape design plan or hire an ecological landscaping professional to prepare a plan for you. (Hand-drawn plans are OK if they are legible.) Landscape contractors with ecological landscaping certification can be found at green-gardener.org. You can also ask any landscaping professional to provide client references for turf replacement projects. Learn about cost-effective, ecological landscape methods for replacing turf and low-water-use plants at santacruz.watersavingplants.com. 
3. Construct 
   After you have received written approval for your project, proceed with the landscape installation project. Rebates are only issued for projects that have been approved in advance. 
4. Post-installation inspection
   Call (831) 325-3376 to schedule a post-installation evaluation upon the completion of the project. Re-landscaping must be completed within 90 days of receiving project approval. 
5. Receive your rebate!
   Provide your completed application and receipts to the City’s LWC Program representative during your post-installation inspection. You may also mail or deliver your rebate application along with original receipts to:

City of Watsonville
Customer Service Division 
320 Harvest Drive
Watsonville, CA 95076-5103

Please make copies of the receipts for your records. Originals will not be returned. If you hire a landscaping professional, ask for materials and labor to be itemized and billed separately. Your rebate check will be mailed to you in 4-6 weeks after original receipts are received and a post-installation evaluation is complete.

Qualified materials include:

Synthetic turf is not allowed.

• Drought-Tolerant Plants
  Plants accustomed to dry summers and look their best with low or very low amounts of irrigation water. Use the WUCOLS (Water Use Classification of Landscape Species) list for region 1, North-Central Coastal as a guide to determine if a species is classified as a low or very low water use plant. Download the WUCOLS list here. 
• Perennial, Edible Plants
  Such as fruit trees, cane berries, kiwis and grapes may be included in the rebate project.
• Mulch or Compost
  Look for products made from recycled organic materials within the Monterey Bay area. To find mulch and compost products made locally, visit the Organic Materials Exchange website here.
• Permeable Hardscape Materials
  Materials that reduce stormwater run-off and allow rainwater to infiltrate slowly into the ground. For example: permeable concrete, permeable pavers, stone and gravel materials for rain gardens and drainage swales. For ideas, download Slow it Spread It Sink It! A homeowner’s to Greening Stormwater Runoff
• Subsurface Drip Irrigation
  Irrigation systems designed to apply water directly to plant root zones and prevent water waste.
• Greywater Irrigation Systems
  Systems designed to reuse greywater water from laundry machines and bath/shower in a dedicated non-potable irrigation system with no connection to municipal water.  Greywater is best for moderate and high water use plants such as fruit trees. Check centralcoastgreywater.org for code requirements and resources.