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# Save water, get $20,000
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/save-water-get-20-000/
- Published: 2006-01-09T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:02:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Now is your chance to get paid for conserving water. Fresh drinking water is a vital and precious natural resource on which our lives and economy depend. However, as much as 50 percent of it is wasted on ordinary lawn and garden landscaping, which means that the greatest potential for saving water lies in converting traditional landscapes to California-friendly, climate-compatible landscapes, according to city officials. That is why the city of Santa Monica is again sponsoring its competitive landscape grant program, designed to encourage home and business owners to make the switch that saves both water and money.

Many homes in Santa Monica use more than 200 gallons of water each day for irrigation, with much of it running off into streets, alleys and sidewalks, city officials said. Research shows that converting turf, water-thirsty plants and traditional, high-volume sprinkler systems to plants and irrigation systems that are water-efficient can save property owners up to 80 percent of their water and 60 percent of their maintenance costs. Water-efficient gardens produce less yard waste, reduce the need for harmful chemicals and polluting maintenance equipment, and provide habitat for beneficial birds and insects.

The city’s competitive landscape grants provide partial funding, up to $20,000, for new or remodeled, innovative garden designs that include two or more of the following: California native plants, water-efficient plants, water-efficient irrigation systems, storm-water management systems, graywater systems, and other innovative water-saving features. In addition to increasing the city’s climate-compatible landscape, the grant program also aims to help reduce citywide water use 20 percent by the year 2010.

Applications for the next round of grants are due March 30\. Applications can be downloaded at www.smepd.org, or call (310) 458-8405 for assistance and information on this and other water-efficiency programs. A night of poetry A local church is hosting a night of poetry featuring two guest poets. On Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m., the Church in Ocean Park will host poets Robert Arroyo Jr. and Teka-Lark Lo. The Church in Ocean Park is located at 235 Hill St. in Santa Monica. Admission is by donation, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Call (310) 452-7953 for more information.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/010906-07_01.jpg)

The first person to identify where this photo was taken will win a prize. (Photo: Fabian Lewkowicz/Daily Press)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 9, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/010906.pdf?ref=smdp.com)