The City of Santa Monica offers landscape grants up to $20,000 to help property owners conserve water. The landscaping plan includes storm-water management systems, graywater systems and other modes of irrigation help. There have been up to $400,000 allocated to schools, businesses and apartments in the last three years. Applications for the grant program are available at www.smepd.org. For more information, call (866) 728- 3229. Research shows that planting Santa Monica-friendly plants and converting traditional, high-volume sprinkler irrigation systems to water-efficient systems can save up to 80 percent of water use and three-fifths of time on maintenance costs. The landscape grant program is just one of 15 programs the city offers to save water and reduce ocean pollution.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 10, 2008. Read the original PDF.