Southern California residents may qualify for rebates starting at $85 for the purchase of a high-efficiency clothes washer (HEW) from a list of qualified products. Visit SoCal Water$mart to apply. An additional rebate may be available from San Diego Gas & electric. Go to sdge.com for more information.

Clothes washing is among the most water-intensive activities inside a typical home. High-efficiency clothes washers (HEWs) use 40 percent less water and 25 percent less energy than conventional clothes washers, according to the EPA’s Energy Star Program. The water savings for each residential HEW can be as much as 3,000 gallons per year. HEWs save energy because they use more efficient motors, require less hot water and reduce the amount of drying time needed for clean clothes.

This free, three-hour workshop will teach homeowners the basics of how to do a landscape makeover. Topics include soil, design, turf removal, plant selection, planning, irrigation, rainwater catchment and implementation — all the elements needed to convert high-water-use turf to a beautiful, water-efficient landscape.

Learn More & Register

The SoCal Water$mart program provides financial incentives to encourage customers to choose 1.1 gallon per flush or less Premium High Efficiency Toilets (PHETs). Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Recent advancements have allowed toilets to use 1.1 gallons per flush or less while still providing equal or superior performance. Qualifying PHETs must be from the list of approved models. Rebates start at $40 per toilet.

Click here for a list of qualifying models.

  • Eligible toilets must replace existing toilets using 1.6 gallons per flush or more.
  • Premium high-efficiency toilets use almost 20% less water than the WaterSense standard and flush the same amount of waste just as, if not more effectively.
  • Water savings from high-efficiency toilets can save over $800 on your water bill over the lifetime of the product. Combine these savings with SoCal Water$mart rebates and premium high-efficiency toilet upgrades can pay for themselves.
  • The qualifying premium high-efficiency models available for a rebate have been performance tested and certified through MaP testing. MaP testing is an independent testing program.

Visit SoCal Water$mart for more information.

The SoCal Water$mart program provides financial incentives to encourage customers to collect and re-use rainwater by purchasing rain barrels or a cistern. Rain barrels and cisterns collect water from gutters and downspouts for use on your landscape while reducing the amount of water flowing into storm drains. Watch our 1-Minute Guide to Rain Barrel Installation below to see how easy it is.

Homeowners can get rebates of up to $35 each on residential rain barrels (up to 2 per home) OR$250-$350 for a cistern, depending on capacity. Visit SoCal Water$mart for more information on rebates from the Metropolitan Water District.

If you are a City of San Diego customer, you may be eligible to participate in their Residential Rainwater Harvesting (Rain Barrel) Rebate Pilot Program. You must be a City of San Diego water utility customer to participate in their program. Please note that this is a separate program and may have a separate application process and qualification criteria.

The Solana Center for Environmental Innovation offers discounted rain barrels that are eligible for rebates. Visit Rainwater – Catch It San Diego! for more information on purchasing and caring for rain barrels and on rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels can also be found at local home improvement stores, nurseries and specialty stores such as San Diego Drums & Totes and Barrels & Branches. RainThanks offers rain harvesting products and installation services.

To purchase the rain barrel featured in this video for only $90 visit Solana Center for Environnmental Innovation’s online ordering site.

Rain Barrel and Rainwater Maintenance

In general rain barrels should be cleaned at least once a year with a non-toxic cleaner such as vinegar. If stagnant water sitting in the barrel develops a foul smell, you may want to drain and clean the inside. Or try adding a capful of regular chlorine (laundry) bleach to a full rain barrel to prevent algae and microbes that cause buildup. This chlorine dilution is safe for your plants as long as you wait a few days before using the water. Also, keep a lid on your rain barrel to block sunlight and keep out debris. Sunlight promotes algae growth and debris will speed the growth of slime.

More Resources

Rotating sprinkler nozzles use 20 percent less water than conventional spray heads by applying water more slowly and uniformly. This prevents misting and overwatering. It also encourages healthy plant growth. The SoCal Water$mart Program offers rebates starting at $2 per rotating nozzle for residential properties. A minimum of 30 nozzles must be purchased.

Visit SoCal WaterSmart or call 1-888-376-3314 for more information.

A soil moisture sensor measures soil moisture content in the active root zone on your property. SoCal Water$mart eligible soil moisture sensor systems must include a sensor and a calibrator (these are typically packaged together in the same device) and an irrigation controller. Rebates start at $80 or $35 per irrigation sensor for large residential sites.

Visit SoCal Water$mart for more information.

The San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program is the go-to resource to assist San Diego County residents in adopting sustainable landscaping best practices through education and training, technical assistance, landscaping materials and financial incentives.

Visit the Website for More Info

San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program partners offer a variety of education and training opportunities for homeowners and professionals. These range from 3-hour introductory workshops to a comprehensive four-class series. All training opportunities align with our Sustainable Landscape Guidelines.

More Info on SDSLP Classes

A certified landscape irrigation auditor will survey and provide written site-specific water-saving recommendations for qualifying non-residential properties within the Water Authority’s service area at no cost. Eligible landscapes include commercial and industrial sites, homeowner association common areas, and institutional sites like schools, parks and government facilities.

  • Apply at waterefficiencysurvey.com
  • Schedule a site walk-through.
  • Receive a report of observations, recommendations, and if applicable, test results.
  • Choose what you will do and when. There’s no obligation.
  • Start saving! Although water-savings vary by property, you may save up to 20% and some sites may even save more.
More Info & Agency Contacts

The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program classes and events offer a great opportunity to create a garden that loves San Diego as much as you do.

With instruction and coaching from industry professionals, this program will educate and empower you to develop actionable landscape makeover plans. Choose from the four-class series, the three-hour workshop, our Video On Demand series or events and resources. All of these will put you one step closer to a better way to beautiful.

Landscape Makeover Program

This series of videos will take you step-by-step through the process of creating your very own beautiful, water-efficient landscape. From measuring your property to getting to know your soil to picking the right plants for the right place, these entertaining and informative videos will guide you along the path to a WaterSmart landscape.

The video series includes:

Step 1:  Identify Your Landscape Target
Step 2:  Create a Plot Plan
Step 3:  Evaluate Your Site
Step 4:  Design Your WaterSmart Landscape
Step 5:  Implement Your Plan
Step 6:  Care for Your WaterSmart Landscape

Browse the Videos

“Smart” or weather-based irrigation controllers can reduce water use outdoors. Unlike standard timers that turn on sprinklers at set intervals, smart controllers use weather data and site information such as plant type and sprinkler system output to adjust watering times and frequency. Professional installation is recommended because proper set-up usually requires knowledge of soils, precipitation rates, slope and other landscape characteristics.

Incentives start at $80 per controller for residential sites with less than one acre of landscaping. For residential sites with landscapes one acre or larger, incentives start at $35 per station. Rebates cannot exceed the purchase price of the controllers.

Visit SoCal WaterSmart or call 1-888-376-3314 for more information. Make sure to look for the WaterSense label.

A Homeowner’s Guide to a WaterSmart Landscape is the companion guide to our award-winning WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series. This educational program and guide were developed in 2012 by the San Diego County Water Authority in conjunction with MiraCosta College and the San Diego Botanic Garden. The makeover series is based on the first edition of this Homeowner’s Guide and is designed to empower homeowners with the skills and knowledge necessary to convert a turf area into a WaterSmart landscape.

If you’re reading this guide and attending the makeover program classes, then you’re one step closer to a better way to beautiful. You’re on your way to being WaterSmart!

Open a PDF version of this guide.

The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program gives homeowners several ways to learn the principles of WaterSmart design and receive step-by-step instructions on how to create beautiful, water-efficient landscapes.

Landscape design templates provide ideas and inspiration, particularly for do-it-yourselfers. Check out these free plans:

How much water do I use? How do I compare? How can I conserve?

Home water conservation is easy once you understand how and where you can use less. This handy calculator takes individualized input by homeowners and shows which of their water uses are efficient and which are not. It also offers tips that save water and energy.  The calculator quickly estimates how much water homes use indoors and outdoors, then compares consumption to average and highly efficient homes in the same area with same number of residents. It also suggests where to begin water-use efficiency improvements.

The residential water-use calculator compares your water use to a similar average and efficient house in the San Diego region.  The calculator estimates the energy savings and carbon footprint of your hot water usage, and helps identify specific areas for improving overall household water efficiency. Water conservation is easy and the water calculator gets you started right away.

Calculate Your Water Footprint

The “eGuide to a WaterSmart Lifestyle” is your go-to resource for living water-efficiently in San Diego County.

This free, 140-page digital flipbook reflects San Diego County’s Mediterranean climate, along with its active, high-tech lifestyle. It is loaded with interactive features that allow users to share ideas on Facebook, electronically “pin” plant and garden photos for their followers, watch videos, and scroll through a library of eye-popping images. The online magazine includes plant finders, interactive maps, animated graphics, home and garden calculators, landscape design tools, and details about rebates and incentives. Each subject is fully linked to online resources, allowing users to quickly access additional information.

The “eGuide to a WaterSmart Lifestyle” covers a wide array of topics, including landscape design, water-efficient plants, outdoor rooms, finding and fixing leaks, healthy soil, smart buys on plumbing fixtures, landscape maintenance and drought survival for gardens. It offers everything from design ideas for creating themed planting zones to strategies for using “graywater” at homes and irrigating efficiently. Features will be added regularly to reflect innovations and other developments.

Learn About:

  • Smart buys for plumbing fixtures and appliances
  • Finding and fixing leaks
  • Landscape design
  • Water-efficient plants
  • Outdoor rooms
  • Gardening groups
  • Graywater
  • Stormwater
  • Healthy soil
  • Efficient irrigation
  • Landscape maintenance
  • Drought survival for gardens and much more

View the “eGuide to a WaterSmart LifeStyle” here.

Click here to see our YouTube video and learn more about the eGuide.

Gardens of Ideas for Water Conservation Video Available!

To help local residents use less water outdoors, the San Diego County Water Authority is offering a free 30-minute video that provides various gardening and water-conservation tips.

The video is available in DVD format. For your free copy, please call 858-522-6700.

A brief two-minute streaming clip may be viewed by clicking here or on the image at left. Your browser settings, however, must allow a popup window.

Graywater is untreated wastewater from residential clothes washers, bathtubs, showers and bathroom sinks. It does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers and toilets – or laundry water soiled by diapers. Graywater can be reused for irrigating plants and may even add fertilizer if it carries nutrients such as phosphorus or nitrogen.

Read the Water Authority’s Graywater Fact Sheet for more information.

The San Diego County Water Authority launched the QWEL program in January, 2016, and the list of certified graduates is growing. You can use our list to find a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper in your area.

Trained in water-wise landscape practices including plant selection, irrigation system design and water management, a QWEL graduate will help meet your landscape needs while keeping your outdoor water use in check.

Water-efficient landscape practices, a soils overview, irrigation system programming, plant selection and water management are among the subjects included in the QWEL 20-hour professional certification program.

View the list of certified graduates by clicking here.

California is in a drought and that means that we need to be careful with every drop of water that we use, particularly outdoors. Here’s a guide to how to help your landscape survive the drought.

Get Efficient

  • Introduce drip irrigation
  • Invest in a smart controller
  • Water less frequently but longer and close to plant roots
  • Redirect downspouts to capture rainwater and direct it to garden areas

Prioritize Your Landscape

  1. Vegetables and fruits get priority. They help feed your family.
  2. Water-wise plants and shade trees. Water-wise plants use little or no water once established. Shade trees help keep plants cool and less thirsty.
  3. Thirsty plants – lawn, high-water-use and container plants. These plants are the lowest on the priority list. If you have to cut back, start here.

Use Mulch
There are many benefits to using mulch in your landscape.

  • Retain moisture: less watering needed and grow healthier plants.
  • Moderates temperature: cool soil in the summer and warm soil in the winter.
  • Decomposes nutrients: enrich soil and better soil quality.
  • Discourage weeds: keeps weeds away and reduce maintenance.

Can I Plant?
Check with your local water agency and if you can water at least two times a week, you can plant water-wise plants and shade trees. This is not the time to install new lawn or thirsty, non-California friendly plants.

Recycle Indoor Water Outdoors

  • Recycle water you are using indoors by capturing what otherwise might go down the drain and use it on plants.
  • Put a bucket in your shower.
  • Use cooled cooking water.
  • Wash your fruits and veggies over a bucket.
  • Keep a pitcher next to the sink and empty water glasses in it.

A successful landscape project can depend on thorough planning and using a licensed landscape and irrigation contractor.

Visit Hiring a Licensed Landscape Contractor for more information.

Timing is everything!

You can literally save thousands of gallons of water in your landscape, and save your plants from drowning, with the proper setting of your irrigation controller. But you can’t just set it and forget it. You need to change the watering schedules as plants become established, with the changing seasons and when it rains. Here’s an easy guide to make setting your irrigation controller easier than programming your DVR.

If you don’t already know how much water your plants need, our interactive WaterSmart Landscaping online gallery and guide will walk you through the steps.

BASIC CONTROLLER FEATURES

Stations control the valves that release the water to the irrigation zones in your yard or garden. Put plants with similar water needs on the same station or zone. This allows for more efficient watering since all emitters and/or sprinklers on a single valve will run for the same amount of time. Multiple stations or zones allow you to customize watering amounts for different types of plants by allowing for different run times for different valves.

  • The Start Time is the time at which a specific valve will open to irrigate a station or zone.
  • The Run Time or Station Duration is the time, in minutes, a specific valve will stay open and therefore water a zone.
  • Semi-Auto lets you run through an entire program (A, B, or C) whenever you want a supplemental watering.
  • Off or Stop will stop programs from running until you toggle back to ‘Run’. Your programs will be saved. This is great during rainy periods.
  • The Manual button allows you to run a single valve for the amount of time you select. This is helpful when you want to tune-up your irrigation system and check for leaks, misaligned sprinkler heads or clogged drip emitters.
  • A Program is where you store all of your settings. It consists of a set of stations set to specific start times and run times. Here, multiple programs A, B, & C allow you to run different valves on different days with different run times. Make sure each program runs stations with similar plant water needs to maximize irrigation efficiency.

 PROGRAMMING YOUR CONTROLLER

  1. For easy programming, first slide the “Set Program” (1) toggle to the middle, and then start in the upper left corner of your controller and move clockwise through the settings. Start with program A (2).

  2. Set the dial to current time and use the +/– buttons to locate the current time of day. Turn the dial one click to the left and use the +/- buttons to set the day of the week. You only have to do this once (3).
  3. Turn the dial to the “valve run times” to select a station and use the +/– buttons to enter the amount of watering time for that valve, which sends water to a particular zone in your yard or garden (4).
  4. Turn the dial to start times and use the +/– buttons to select time you’d like your irrigation to begin. You can have three different start times per day, but typically you only need one (5).
  5. Now turn the dial to “schedule” the days you want your irrigation to run or the numbers of days to skip in between watering. Use the +/- buttons to enter this information (6).
  6. Now repeat steps 3, 4 & 5 for each station/valve you are controlling, and program A is complete. Use programs B & C for other zones that require difference frequencies of watering, such as turf, low-water-use plants, vegetable gardens, etc.

PROGRAMMING TIPS

  • Different plants have different watering needs. Find out how much water your plants need with our interactive WaterSmart Landscaping online gallery and guide.
  • Group stations or valves that require similar watering frequencies on the same program (such as A, B, or C).
  • Enter only one start time for each program even when there are multiple stations or valves.
  • Enter different start times on different programs (A, B, C) to avoid overlap of water times.
  • Use multiple start times if excessive runoff is a problem.

Remember…the controller controls the irrigation system, but YOU control the controller.

LINKS TO CONTROLLER MANUFACTURERS

Nifty 50

Looking for the perfect groundcover? Need to replace a shrub or tree?

The new Nifty 50 brochure has you covered. One of the region’s most popular WaterSmart plant guides, Nifty 50 has been updated and distributed to local water agencies and conservation gardens by the San Diego County Water Authority as part of the agency’s long-running efforts to promote water-use efficiency. It includes 50 plants selected because they are attractive, readily available in retail nurseries, non-invasive and easy to maintain. Highlighted plants typically last for years, fit the scale of residential landscapes and – once established – tolerate drought.

The Nifty 50 brochure was initially released in 2001, and it is periodically updated to reflect changing plant preferences, along with research about their growing patterns. The latest version includes perennials such as French lavender, groundcover such as trailing lantana, and trees such as sweet bay.  The pamphlet also offers tips for reducing the amount of water used on landscapes, whether they are filled with conventional plants or drought-tolerant varieties.

Copies of the guide – complete with full-color photos of each plant – are free at the Water Authority’s headquarters in Kearny Mesa and at the offices of its 24 member agencies. They also are available at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas and the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, both of which display several of the highlighted plants. An electronic version of the brochure is available by clicking on the image at the top left. If you’d like a copy mailed to you, please email us at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

If you’re looking to upgrade your landscape or just love gardens, then our online plant finder WaterSmart Landscaping in San Diego County is for you!

This interactive gardening tool has thousands of pictures of plants and garden designs that are well-suited to our Mediterranean climate. Take visual tours of beautiful, water-efficient landscapes through photographs that include hotlinks to plant information screens.

Pictures are organized by landscape category to make them easy to find. Explore galleries of ideas for back yards, front yards, hillsides, patios, planters and other outdoor living areas.

Just looking for plants? The website offers more than 1,000 plants and search tools that make plants easy to find. Explore lawn alternatives, butterfly-attracting plants, plants for fire safety, California natives and more.

While you’re exploring, save plant and garden images you like to your Plant List, then print reports about them before you shop.

To get started, visit the website and click through the navigation bar to see the lists and resources available.

Financing Available for Water Efficiency Projects through the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program

PACE program financing allows property owners to fund qualified water efficiency projects with little or no up-front costs. Residential, commercial and municipal properties located within participating cities or unincorporated areas of San Diego County may be able to finance up to 100% of their project and pay it back over time through their existing property tax bill as a voluntary property tax assessment. The PACE program may require participating contractors to perform the work. For more information, please visit your city’s website to determine if your city participates in the program.  If you live in an unincorporated area of San Diego County, please visit the PACE website to determine your eligibility.

Landscape design templates provide ideas and inspiration, particularly for do-it-yourselfers. Check out these free plans:

Visit our WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program for more resources.

The mission of the San Diego Botanic Garden is to inspire people of all ages to connect with plants and nature.

Explore four miles of garden trails, enjoy restful vistas, flowering trees, majestic palms, and the nation’s largest bamboo collection. Thanks to our mild climate, plants from all over the world thrive here. Our diverse topography provides a variety of microclimates giving the visitor a sensation of going from a desert environment to a tropical rainforest, all within 37 acres.

Located 30 minutes north of San Diego in Encinitas, California, San Diego Botanic Garden features numerous exhibits, including rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, succulent gardens, an herb garden, firesafe landscaping, a subtropical fruit garden, and native coastal sage natural areas.

Click here to visit the garden’s website.

The San Diego Sustainable Landscapes Program is the go-to resource to assist San Diego County residents in adopting sustainable landscaping best practices through education and training, technical assistance, landscaping materials and financial incentives.

Visit the Site
  1. American Society of Landscape Architects
  2. California Landscape Contractors Association
  3. California Association of Professional Landscape Designers
  4. Irrigation Association


The Water Conservation Garden’s mission is to educate and inspire through excellent exhibits and programs that promote water conservation and the sustainable use of related natural resources. It has nearly five acres of displays that showcase water conservation through a series of beautiful themed gardens, such as a native plant garden and a vegetable garden, as well as how-to displays such as mulch and irrigation exhibits. Admission is free, and the Garden can be viewed on a self-guided tour, or through one of our programs. Programs include:

  • Four to six classes per month for the general public, including landscaping, gardening, and art offerings.
  • Training in water conservation for professional landscapers.
  • School tours.
  • Regularly-scheduled adult group tours.
  • Tours by appointment.
  • Large educational special events.
  • Outreach programs, including a speaker’s bureau.
Browse the Site

See also Fire Resistive Plants at the Water Conservation Garden

A certified landscape irrigation auditor will survey and provide written site-specific water-saving recommendations for qualifying non-residential properties within the Water Authority’s service area at no cost. Eligible landscapes include commercial and industrial sites, homeowner association common areas, and institutional sites like schools, parks and government facilities.

  • Apply at waterefficiencysurvey.com
  • Schedule a site walk-through.
  • Receive a report of observations, recommendations, and if applicable, test results.
  • Choose what you will do and when. There’s no obligation.
  • Start saving! Although water-savings vary by property, you may save up to 20% and some sites may even save more.
More Info & Agency Contacts

If you’re looking to upgrade your landscape or just love gardens, then WaterSmartSDlandscaping.org is for you.

The San Diego County Water Authority’s WaterSmart landscaping website has thousands of pictures of plants and garden designs that are well-suited to our Mediterranean climate. Take visual tours of beautiful, water-efficient landscapes through photographs that include hotlinks to plant information screens.

Pictures are organized by landscape category to make them easy to find. Explore galleries of ideas for back yards, front yards, hillsides, patios, planters and other outdoor living areas.

Just looking for plants? The website offers more than 1,000 plants and search tools that make plants easy to find. Explore lawn alternatives, butterfly-attracting plants, plants for fire safety, California natives and more.

While you’re exploring, save plant and garden images you like, then print reports about them before you shop.

Click here for this interactive, web-based gardening tool.