SE Valley Times

The City of Mesa has announced increased incentive amounts for grass-to-Xeriscape conversions, inviting its commercial customers to take advantage of the opportunity. According to Marc Heirshberg, Deputy City Manager, the city is dedicated to fostering sustainable communities in Mesa and is excited to empower non-residential customers to conserve water resources through these incentives.

"We are dedicated to fostering sustainable communities in Mesa and are excited to increase our incentive offerings to our non-residential customers, empowering them to conserve our precious water resources," said Marc Heirshberg, Deputy City Manager.

The newly increased incentive amounts allow eligible properties to receive $2 per square foot, up to $50,000 per year, for removing at least 2,500 square feet of grass. By replacing water-thirsty grass with a Xeriscape landscape, property owners can not only reduce water use but also increase shade and save money.

"Our Grass-to-Xeriscape Landscape Incentive Program aligns with Mesa’s climate action goals of responsible water stewardship, cooler neighborhoods, and cleaner air," added Heirshberg.

The grant funding provided by the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona has enabled Mesa to increase its grass-to-Xeriscape incentives from $10,000 annually to up to $50,000 per property per year. Additionally, Mesa has raised its funding for the landscape irrigation equipment purchasing incentive to $20,000 per property per year.

All incentives are applicable for future projects and are limited, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Information on eligibility and the program application can be found online.

For residential customers looking to swap their turf for a water-friendly desert landscape, Mesa offers a grass-to-Xeriscape landscape incentive of up to $1,100 on future projects. The city also provides online resources to assist the public in designing their landscapes.

To qualify for the incentives, the converted grass area must be replaced with low-water-use plants that will cover at least 50 percent of the area at full maturity. Mesa's Plant Square Footage Calculator is available to guide customers in selecting the right plants and trees to meet the required plant coverage.