NE Valley Times

The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) Board of Directors has approved a $250,000 grant for Scottsdale Water's residential grass removal program. The decision was made on September 20, as part of the Water Conservation Grant Fund (WCGF), which is one of three new funds established by the state legislature last year to support water reduction and efficiency initiatives.

Scottsdale Water applied for this grant to enhance its residential grass removal incentive rebate for the current fiscal year. Last year, the rebate increased from $1 to $2 per square foot, with a maximum limit of $5,000. This change, along with an improved messaging campaign, led to a significant response from residents—an increase of nearly 450% compared to previous years.

In fiscal year 2023, over 401,000 square feet of grass were removed in Scottsdale. This effort is expected to save more than 20 million gallons of water in future years. The city sought assistance from WIFA to maintain this momentum and expressed enthusiasm about the grant approval.

Mayor David D. Ortega commented on the development: “Once again, Scottsdale residents demonstrate our wise stewardship of precious water.” He added appreciation for WIFA's support: “We greatly appreciate that WIFA supports our water conservation action plans.”

Scottsdale Water aims to continue seeking additional funding opportunities with WIFA to bolster its water conservation programs and achieve further success in its initiatives.