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Poway Artificial Grass Rebate Update

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:24:53 -0400

Poway Available Rebates
Click on each product to see a current list of qualifying models:

� High-Efficiency Clothes Washers (SDG&E contributes to this incentive amount) - $135

� Weather-Based Irrigation Controller (less than one-acre)
- Up to 12 stations - $350
- Additional stations beyond 12 - $6.50 per station

� Weather-Based Irrigation Controller (one-acre or larger)
- Each station - $25

� Nozzles - $4 each

� Synthetic Turf (1,000 sq. ft. maximum per customer) - $0.50 per sq. foot

For more information regarding the rebate program, please contact the Water Conservation Team at (858) 668-1215 or by email.

Rebates for Plumbing Devices, Irrigation Equipment, and Artificial Turf

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE REBATE PROGRAM**

The City of Poway?s rebate program will be available until Friday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. You ARE required to receive a reservation number prior to purchasing your qualifying water-efficient product.

From Friday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. to Monday, September 21 at 9:00 a.m. NO rebates will be available.

Effective September 21 at 9:00 a.m. the Metropolitan Water District will reinstate its rebate program. The program will be open to all Southern California water agencies and residents will NOT be required to receive a reservation prior to purchasing a qualifying water-efficient product. Rebate amounts will change and funding will be limited. Rebates will be available on a first-come, first serve basis. Do not purchase your product until September 21 or after. It is recommended that you purchase your qualifying water-efficient product ASAP on September 21 or shortly after.

You are invited to participate

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:10:08 -0400

Please send us your thouhts and comments. We love to know what you are thinking.

How can we assist you? How might we improve our service?

We get such great response from our customers about the grass. Love the color. Love the texture. Artificial Grass has helped cut the water bill in half and more, etc.

We get tlots of referrals from our customers and enjoy a great reputation in our community.

We don't believe in doing business any other way than the best way for our customers.

We have people who call it Fake Grass, Faux Grass, That Synthetic Stuff or Astroturf.

You are welcome to call it whatever you like!

However, our product line is so superior to the grasses available only a couple of years ago that there is no comparison

State wide emergency has been announced by California's Govenor, Arnold Schwarzenegger

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:05:00 -0400

We have a state wide emergency concerning our water. Please do whatever you can to avoid mandatory restrictions.

The San Diego Union Tribune recently reported on which water districts are doing the best job to conserve water.

January through June 2008, compared to the same period of 2007.

Agency Decrease

1. Ramona 67.4%

2. Yuima 57.0 %

3. Valley Center 39.8%

4. Camp Pendleton 36.3%

5. Rainbow 33.7%

6. Fallbrook 33.5%

7. Escondido 27.7%

8. San Dieguito 19.8%

9. Del Mar 15.7%

10. Rincon Del Diablo 10.6%

11. Poway 9.8%

12. Vallecitos 8.2%

13. Carlsbad 7.7%

14. Oceanside 7.0%

15. Otay 6.8%

16. Santa Fe 6.5%

17. Vista 5.1%

18. Helix 4.4%

19. Padre Dam 4.0%

20. Sweetwater 3.8%

21. Lakeside 3.4%

22. San Diego 1.3%

23. Olivenhain 0.7%

TOTAL 12.8%

artificial verses new sod in San Diego County

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:50:06 -0400

There are choices to be made when considering lawn landscaping.

Will we as a society continue to plant new grass or maintain an existing one in the face of our water crisis? Yes, this is a cheaper choice up front but you continue to pay month after month for water and maintenance. Is it environmentally a sound decision? So many people are ignoring the water crisis while the water authority is taking the soft sell, voluntary path.

Please seriously considering helping out voluntarily by planting native plant gardens or using artificial turf. No one wants to see the earth paved with artificial grass. That is a crazy notiion. But there are terrific looking native plant lawns available. A combination of native plants and artificial grass may be right for you. Either of these choices will keep our water flowing for necessary uses.

As concerned citizens we must ask you to considering making a positive change in your way of life that effects all of us. Water is shorter and shorter. This is a real issue that needs to be addressed by our community now.

Farmers in our county have been restricted in the amount of water available to grow local products while new grass is planted and overwatered daily. Produce should be a priority over lawns but the water authority is taking away the farmers water. Is this what we really want?. Other states have water restrictions on the watering of their lawns so their water can be sent to California where we are free to water as much as we like. We are pouring water on the ground like there is a never ending flow. What is wrong with this picture?

Please call your local water authorities and see what you can do to keep water available for really important uses. Our daily habits can help save gallons of water daily but the fact is that as much as 70% of our water goes to outside watering of lawns and plants.

San Diego Business Journal reference

Mon, 05 May 2008 11:49:22 -0400

Craig Balben, public affairs representative for the San Diego County Water Authority, said seven of its 24 member agencies offer vouchers to single-family residential customers. Those agencies are the city of Poway, Helix Water District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Valley Center Municipal Water District and Vista Irrigation District.

Poway California - Considering Rebates for Artificial Turf to Save Water

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:48:00 -0500

Council will consider incentives to save water

By Angela Lau

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

February 2, 2008

POWAY ? The City in the Country wants to fake its roots to beat the drought.

Instead of lush green blades of real grass, Poway wants homeowners to swap it for . . . artificial turf.

Tuesday, the City Council will consider a program that would offer residents an artificial turf rebate of $1 per square foot as part of a water-saving incentive program.

The city already has declared a first-stage water emergency because of the ongoing drought in the West, and has asked its residents to voluntarily save water.

Now, city officials want to slow the biggest drain on potable water: landscape irrigation, estimated to gulp down 50 percent of Southern California's supply.

Every 1,000 square feet of imitation grass can save 32,000 gallons of water a year, which works out to an acre-foot of water over a decade, enough to supply two typical Southern California families for one year, water officials said.

That's not to mention saving money on gardeners and irrigation systems, as well as reducing pollution from fertilizer and pesticides.

?Can I still get that rebate?? said Renate Shein, 71, of Poway, who spent $6,000 on Turf for her 500-square-foot front lawn in October.

Artificial turf rebates

Poway is considering a $1-per-square-foot rebate for artificial turf,

The rationale is to save water and reduce pollution from fertilizer and pesticides.

The Helix Water District in La Mesa, Padre Dam Municipal Water District in Santee, Olivenhain Municipal Water District in Encinitas, Valley Center Municipal Water District and Vista Irrigation District already offer rebates.

Artificial turf costs about $10 a square foot to buy and install.

Sources: San Diego County Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

?It's beautiful. It's absolutely beautiful,? she said. ?It's a lot of money, but you know something? I don't have any more maintenance. If you go away, you don't have to worry about watering the lawn, brown spots, weeds.

?Grass is really a pain.?

Monique Belmares, 39, also of Poway, agreed.

She plunked down $15,000 for 1,500 square feet of artificial turf around the basketball court on her 5-acre property.

?I like it. It's definitely low-maintenance,? Belmares said. ?When you think artificial turf, you think putting greens. These are individual blades.?

If the city offers a rebate, she would consider converting her �-acre lawn to the fake stuff. ?It's very expensive,? she said.

Artificial turf costs about $10 per square foot to buy and install, compared with $1 to $3 a square foot for sod and an accompanying irrigation system, said Andy Hui, a conservation programs manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Despite the high cost, however, the faux grass ranks are growing, in part because of encouragement from water suppliers.

Five water districts in the county are offering rebates as part of a pilot program of the San Diego County Water Authority. They are: the Helix, Olivenhain, Padre Dam and Valley Center water districts, and the Vista Irrigation District.

Helix spokeswoman Kate Breece said 18 families have installed artificial turf since the rebate began last September. District staff members inspect about 20 homes for eligibility every month.

The $1 rebate, which is obtained through participating water districts, is made up of three contributions: 50 cents from the local water districts, 20 cents from the water authority and 30 cents from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said Mayda Portillo of the water authority.

The rebate is limited to a maximum of 1,000 square feet. Any surface exceeding that would be eligible for a rebate of 30 cents per square foot from the MWD.

Poway likely would follow that formula, said Kristen Crane, the city's water conservation administrator.

The MWD is hoping to institute a region-wide program that would allow homeowners to apply directly to the district for the 30-cent-per-square-foot rebate by the summer.

Rebates available in San Diego

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:41:00 -0500

Please check our rebates page for artificial grass offered by local water authorities.

These rebates can significantly reduce your overall cost of installing artificial / synthetic turf grass. Call 858 538-2696 for more information and to set up your free consultation today.

california water crisis

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:38:06 -0400

	News \| San Diego Water district rates to rise 9% in '08

Padre Dam OKs annual increases through 2012

By Anne Krueger

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

August 29, 2007

Ratepayers in an East County water district will pay higher bills for the next five years after board members approved a rate increase yesterday.

The Padre Dam Municipal Water District board unanimously approved the yearly increases through 2012, beginning with a 9 percent increase next year, after hearing protests from four customers. The board also received written protests from 71 customers.

?This is not an easy thing to do,? board president Andy Menshek said after the vote. ?This is not something we do lightly. This is doing the right thing for future generations.?

Padre Dam serves a population of 97,000 in Santee, parts of El Cajon and in the unincorporated communities of Blossom Valley, Crest, Harbison Canyon and Alpine.

The increase means a typical customer in the western half of the district, who now pays $127.01 on a bimonthly bill, will pay $138.46 every two months beginning in January. By 2012, that customer will pay $198.98 every two months.

A typical customer in the eastern section of the district now paying $141.49 every two months will pay $212.91 by 2012. Sewer charges will increase from a typical bimonthly bill of $74.22 to $82.23 next year, rising to $121.66 every two months by 2012.

Bill increases beyond next year are estimates because the county water authority has not set its rates beyond 2008.

Six percent of the annual increase is for Padre Dam; district officials say the increase is necessary because of higher operation costs and the need to replace aging pipes and equipment. The other 3 percent is the result of an increase from the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District, which supply water to county residents.

Larry Hertel, a Padre Dam customer from Alpine, urged the board to reconsider a rate increase each year instead of voting for a five-year increase.

?It is just out of line,? he said. ?I don't see how you can justify it.?

Last year, the district approved its first rate increase in five years. Padre Dam officials say maintenance has lagged because the board didn't approve rate increases before then.

The district's water meters, pumps and fire hydrants are all aging and need to be better maintained or replaced, said Mike Uhrhammer, Padre Dam's communications manager.

The district needs to spend $2.9 million a year on maintenance and $16.2 million a year for capital improvements, he said.

Anne Krueger: (619) 593-4962; anne.krueger@uniontrib.com

california water

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:36:37 -0400

As supplies dry up, pressure to solve water pinch builds

Lack of consensus adds to state's crisis

By Michael Gardner
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

July 24, 2007

SACRAMENTO ? Long conflicted over water, Californians soon may be asked to set aside past prejudices and move forward on building reservoirs and a new system to carry water south.

Warnings of looming shortages are coming from several fronts: climate changes linked to global warming threaten to prolong a worrisome dry spell, the state's population continues to grow and perhaps one-third of Southern California's deliveries from the north may be needed to forestall an environmental crisis

In the Sacramento Delta.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is certain to repeat those concerns when he tours a shrinking San Diego County reservoir today as part of a statewide campaign to promote a proposed $5.9 billion bond measure that includes funding for two reservoirs, delta restoration and conservation.

The backdrop for the governor's pitch will be a half-full Sweetwater Reservoir, which provides water to 177,000 residents of National City, Bonita and parts of Chula Vista. The residents' other reservoir, Loveland, is 55 percent full.

The governor is expected to highlight conservation programs and stress the importance of water to a region at the end of the pipeline ? a note not lost on many who remember the 1987-1992 drought.

?We were really concerned we could have the water turned off on us at any time,? said Joe Panetta, president of Biocom, a coalition of 37 San Diego-area life-sciences companies.

Panetta will tout the governor's proposals this morning.

?We have to look at this from a long-term perspective. . . . We cannot deal with this on a crisis basis,? he said. Water is just as important as energy, Panetta said.

?It's not about getting the roof fixed when it's raining,? he said. ?How do you recruit and retain and grow companies if you cannot assure them of water??

At issue:
water bond

In San Diego County today, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will promote a proposed $5.9 billion bond for new reservoirs and a water conveyance system in the Sacramento Delta.

Supporters say: More storage and a reliable conveyance system are needed to keep up with growth, meet demands to protect the Sacramento Delta and hedge against drought.

Opponents say: More water can be stored underground and made available through conservation. Too much water could be pumped south, threatening the environment.

Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders are under mounting pressure to break years of stalemate on new statewide water projects or risk drying up flows that nourish the environment and the economy from San Diego to Redding. The governor and legislative leaders say they will concentrate next month on reaching a compromise that could be sent to voters as early as February.

Yet they remain far apart on crucial issues: where and whether to build reservoirs and a new canal to carry water through the delta and who should pay.

Senate Democrats, in proposing a $5 billion bond plan, say they are hesitant to endorse new reservoirs, citing cost and environmental considerations. Instead, they favor awarding grants to regional priorities that encourage conservation, filling aquifers and expanding existing above-ground reservoirs, such as San Vicente in San Diego County.

Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata, D-Oakland, said he prefers to focus on projects that generally have public support ?rather than re-living the water wars of the past over false choices like dams and canals.?

Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, challenges that thinking. He says Californians will accept environmentally sensitive facilities that could benefit people, business and wildlife.

?It can be done. It must be done,? Cogdill said.

The new round of water negotiations will start even before lawmakers and Schwarzenegger can settle on how to spend $918 million provided by voters last year in two water-related bond measures.

Moving water is as much of an issue as storing water. A federal judge in September is expected to determine just how much water the state can pump to Southern California without driving the endangered delta smelt to extinction.

The governor is pitching a new delivery system to carry water through the delta, dredging up painful memories of the failed 1982 Peripheral Canal campaign that split the state and fostered years of north-south mistrust that still lingers.

Many Democrats and some environmental groups fear a new channel could lead to more urban demand and higher costs at the expense of fish and wildlife.

?That's the caboose on the train,? said Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis. ?It's been a non-starter.?

But just as many believe new thinking is needed ? whether it's a canal or managing existing rivers to be more fish friendly.

Meanwhile, water officials across the state are imploring the governor and lawmakers to act.

The San Diego County Water Authority has endorsed the governor's bond proposal, citing the convergence of climate change, growth and drought. The dry spell along the Colorado River has drawn the specter of rationing ever closer.

?This is the time to be moving forward,? said Fern Steiner, chairwoman of the water authority board.

The board has moved aggressively to increase local storage, including mapping plans for a $552 million raising of San Vicente Dam. The board is ?ready to roll? on a 54-foot addition, Steiner said, but is waiting to determine whether the state will provide some funding to stack an additional 63 feet of concrete, bringing the expansion to 117 feet.

At that height, storage at San Vicente would increase by 100,000 acre-feet, enough to serve 200,000 households a year. In addition, an additional 52,000 acre-feet could be held for emergencies.

In Northern California, the tiny Delta Smelt has sent water managers into near panic.

State and federal pumps, predators and pollution are being blamed for the fish's plummeting numbers. The smelt is considered an indicator of the overall health of the Sacramento Delta, which carries two-thirds of the state's drinking water to 25 million residents. Forty percent of the San Diego County region's supplies flow through the delta, a 1,100-mile maze of waterways.

Environmentalists have petitioned to sharply curtail pump operations to protect the smelt. An Alameda County Superior Court ruling slowed the pumps for nine days in June, dramatically cutting deliveries and forcing Southern California to accelerate plans for reductions next year if the pumps cannot run at capacity.

Separately, a federal district court is looking at submissions on how state and federal agencies plan to protect smelt.

It's possible that the courts could force drastic reductions in deliveries to a broad range of users, from the Silicon Valley to Los Angeles.

?We are in crisis mode,? said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. ?I don't think that word is too strong.?

Quinn fears a court order could force the state's pumps near Tracy to be curtailed by as much as one-third.

Schwarzenegger, through his bond proposal, is pushing to finance numerous projects he says are necessary to guard against natural disaster and drought. He wants to shore up levees, protect roads and guard pipelines and rail lines.

?Let's fix the delta once and for all,? Schwarzenegger said last week.

Water is a rising issue

Tue, 01 May 2007 11:24:01 -0400

Yes, water rates are a bigger issue every day. Those rising costs cause effect the bennefits of artificial grass and make it even more affordable.

This is a "Green" issue. How long will we be allowed to pour good potable water on our lawns while others are rationed as a result?