Grass-to-Xeriscape Conversions Drive Major Water Savings

Grass-to-Xeriscape Conversions Drive Major Water Savings

Mesa's landscape conversion incentive programs achieved significant water savings in 2025, with businesses, homeowner associations (HOAs) and residential customers removing more than 182,000 square feet of grass and saving 68 million gallons of water over the next five years.

The programs, funded in part by a grant from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA), help offset the cost of removing grass and replacing it with a low-water-use desert landscape and desert adapted plants.

Mesa's non-residential program participants removed 129,000 square feet of turf in 2025 with an estimated annual water savings of 3.2 million gallons. continued. Over 5 years, these 2025 projects are projected to save 48.3 million gallons.

The WIFA grant also funded free landscape assessments for HOAs to identify irrigation system inefficiencies and recommend specific water-saving improvements. Non-residential customers, including HOAs, can also access additional incentives for irrigation equipment upgrades, such as smart controllers, flow sensors and pressure regulators.

Mesa homeowners removed 53,000 square feet of turf in 2025, with an estimated annual savings of 1.3 million gallons of water and 5-year cumulative savings approaching 20 million gallons.

Removing grass and replacing it with a low-water-use xeriscape provides businesses, HOAs and residents with long-term water savings while also lowering maintenance costs and saving money over time.

For additional information about Mesa's incentive programs, visit mesaaz.gov/conservation.