Water Smart Landscapes Rebate

A. Authorization to proceed required: Do not remove the existing lawn until the Authority completes a pre-conversion inspection and authorizes you to proceed.

B. Customer eligibility: Areas to be converted must use water from an Authority water agency or groundwater well within the Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Basin. Applicant's water and/or groundwater account(s) must be in good standing.

C. Qualifying areas: Conversion areas must be a living, maintained lawn or permanently installed outdoor water surface which was compliant with applicable laws at the time of installation. Areas previously deemed ineligible by the Authority will not be reconsidered.

D. Minimum project size: At least 400 square feet of lawn and/or water surface must be converted. At the Authority's discretion, smaller projects may be accepted if less than 400 square feet of lawn and/or water surface exist in the project area.

A. Living plants: Converted areas must have at least 50 percent living plant cover at maturity (using the Authority's plant list). At the Authority's discretion and upon request of an applicant, the Authority may consider plant coverage for the entire landscaped area of the front or backyard where the conversion occurred, and all areas evaluated must meet requirements of Sections II(B) and II(C).

B. Efficient irrigation: Watering systems (if used) must be drip irrigation with a filter, pressure regulator, and emitters rated at 20 gallons per hour or less. Systems must be free of malfunctions and leaks. Required components must be visible for inspection. If part of a lawn is converted, remaining sprinklers must not spray the converted area or create runoff.

C. Surface treatments: The conversion area must be uniformly permeable to air and water and covered by mulch, such as rock, bark, ungrouted pavers, permeable artificial turf, and/or living groundcovers (with 100 percent plant cover). Plastic, concrete, and other impermeable materials are not allowed.

Plant coverage exemption with artificial turf
If installing artificial turf in a Water Smart Landscapes rebate conversion project, existing plants outside of the lawn conversion area can be used to meet the 50 percent canopy coverage requirement. To qualify, the entire landscape area in the front or back yard (where the lawn conversion takes place) must meet the program conditions for plant coverage, irrigation, mulch and weed barriers.

A. Cancellation: You may cancel this Agreement at any time prior to accepting the Authority's payment.

B. Important deadlines: The conversion and request for Authority inspection must be completed within 12 months of your pre- conversion inspection. Corrective actions, if required, must be completed within (i) 60 days of notice or (ii) the remainder of the 12-month period, whichever is greater. Applicant must submit the executed Conservation Easement within 18 months of this Agreement’s execution. Failure to meet deadlines will result in forfeiture of the rebate. To receive the maximum rebate from the Authority, the Applicant must apply by December 31, 2024, and complete the conversion by December 31, 2025. A conversion is deemed “Complete” when (1) the Applicant has completed the post-conversion inspection, (2) necessary corrections, if any, identified by the Authority during the post-conversion inspection are complete, and the Authority has received the executed Conservation Easement.

C. Rebate amounts and limits: Single family residential (SFR) properties will be paid $5 per square foot for the first 10,000 square feet and $3.50 per square foot thereafter on a per-property basis for conversions completed by December 31, 2025. For conversions with applications after December 31, 2024, or completed after December 31, 2025, the Authority will issue rebates at the prevailing $3 per square foot for the first 10,000 square feet and $1.50 per square foot thereafter. Groundwater Management Program rebates are limited to 2,500 square feet per fiscal year and paid at the SFR rate.

D. Protecting and sustaining conversion: Rebate is subject to the property owner's grant of a conservation easement that restricts certain uses of the conversion project areas in perpetuity. Transfer of property prior to recording of the conservation easement will forfeit the rebate. A sample easement is available upon request.

E. Payment: Checks are issued to property owners or their appointed agent within 30 days of recording the conservation easement.

F. Authority discretion: Notwithstanding satisfaction of eligibility conditions, the Authority retains discretion to reject or delay Application approval and may withhold payment if the Authority determines conversion requirements have not been met.

G. Communication: You authorize the Authority to communicate with you about Authority programs or research projects.

H. Acknowledgement & agreement: You, the Applicant, hereby acknowledge, understand and agree:

1. To maintain responsibility for the quality and appearance of the conversion;
2. to comply with applicable statutes, regulations, codes, ordinances, and covenants pertaining to the project, the failure of which may result in rebate forfeiture, or postponement or rejection of this Application;
3. to accept any tax liability related to payments received under this Agreement;
4. to abide and be bound by the terms stated in this Application and Agreement and in the Conservation Easement, if applicable, and that the terms of those documents may be invoked by the Authority;
5. that upon the Authority's determination that you fulfilled the requirements of this Application and Agreement, payment will be made by the Authority to you as consideration;
6. that assignment or transfer of your interest in this agreement without the Authority's prior written approval shall be void;
7. this Agreement may not be modified except by written instrument executed by both Parties or their designees;
8. that if any term of this Agreement is unenforceable or invalid, such term shall be excluded to that extent; the Agreement shall otherwise remain enforceable; and the invalid or unenforceable term shall be deemed replaced by a valid and enforceable term that most closely states the invalid or unenforceable term's intent. If this Paragraph's application materially and adversely affects a Party, by altering the contemplated economic substance, that Party shall be entitled to compensation for the impact.
9. Nevada law shall govern interpretation of this Agreement, without reference to its choice of law provisions and that the exclusive venue for any dispute arising from the terms of this Agreement shall be Clark County, Nevada;
10. this Agreement does not create any right in or benefit to parties other than the Authority and the Applicant and does not create anythird-party beneficiary rights or causes of action; the failure of either Party to enforce a provision of the Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of such provisions or of the rights of such Party to enforce each and every such provision; and,
11. this Agreement contains the Parties' entire understanding of the contemplated transactions, notwithstanding any previous negotiations or agreements, oral or written, between the Parties concerning all or any part of the subject matter hereof. All prior or contemporaneous agreements, understandings, representations, and statements, oral or written, regarding this Agreement's subject matter are merged in this Agreement and shall be of no further force or effect.

A. Authorization to proceed: Do not remove the existing turf until the Authority completes a pre-conversion inspection and authorizes you to proceed. If the total project area exceeds 10,890 square feet, regardless of the size of individual phases, the Applicant must obtain express approval from the applicable municipal planning authority prior to receiving the Authority’s authorization to proceed.

B. Customer eligibility: Areas to be converted must use water from an Authority water agency or groundwater well within the Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Basin. Applicant’s water and/or groundwater account(s) must be in good standing.

C. Qualifying areas: Conversion areas must be a living, maintained lawn or permanently-installed outdoor water surface which was compliant with applicable laws at the time of installation. Areas previously deemed ineligible by the Authority will not be reconsidered.

D. Minimum project size: At least 400 square feet of lawn and/or water surface must be converted. At the Authority’s discretion, smaller projects may be accepted if less than 400 square feet of lawn and/or water surface exist in the project area.

A. Living plants: Prior to conversion, the subject areas must have at least 50 percent living plant cover at maturity (using the Authority’s plant list). All areas evaluated must meet the requirements of Sections II(B) and II(C), below.

B. Efficient irrigation: Converted areas must use drip-irrigation systems, including a filter, pressure regulator, and emitters rated at 20 gallons per hour or less. Systems must be free of malfunctions and leaks. Required components must be visible for inspection. If some turf areas remain after the conversion, any remaining spray-irrigation may not spray the converted area or create runoff.

C. Surface treatments: Converted areas must be uniformly permeable to air and water and covered by mulch, such as rock, bark, un-grouted pavers, permeable artificial turf, and/or living groundcovers (with 100 percent plant cover). Plastic, concrete, and other impermeable materials are not allowed.

A. Cancellation: You may cancel this Agreement at any time before accepting the rebate from the Authority.

B. Important deadlines: To receive the maximum rebate from the Authority, the Applicant must complete the conversion by December 31, 2024. A conversion is deemed “complete” when (1) the Applicant has completed the post-conversion inspection, (2) necessary corrections, if any, identified by the Authority during the post-conversion inspection are complete, and (3) the Authority has received Applicant’s executed Conservation Easement. A sample Conservation Easement is included with this Application.

C. Rebate amounts and limits: For non-single-family (“Non-SFR”) properties, the Applicant will receive a rebate from the Authority for removing functional turf, as defined by the Authority, as follows: $3.00 per square foot for the first 10,000 square feet and $1.50 per square foot thereafter, without regard to passage of time or number of project phases. Groundwater Management program rebates are limited to 2,500 square feet per fiscal year. Non-SFR properties removing non-functional turf to comply with Assembly Bill 356 will be paid the above incentive for projects completed on or before December 31, 2024. Applicants for Non-SFR properties where a non-functional turf conversion is completed after December 31, 2024, will receive a rebate as follows: $2.00 per square foot for the first 10,000 square feet and $1.00 per square foot thereafter without regard to passage of time or number of phases.

D. Protecting and sustaining conversion: Rebates are subject to the property owner’s grant of a Conservation Easement that will restrict certain uses of the converted project areas in perpetuity. An Applicant that transfers the property prior to the Authority’s recording of the Conservation Easement will forfeit the rebate.

E. Payment: Checks are issued to property owners or their appointed agent within 30 days of recording the easement.

F. Authority discretion: Notwithstanding satisfaction of eligibility conditions, the Authority retains discretion to reject or delay Application approval and may withhold payment if the Authority determines conversion is not complete.

G. Communication: You authorize the Authority to communicate with you about Authority programs or research projects.

H. Acknowledgement & agreement: You, the Applicant, hereby acknowledge, understand and agree:

1. To maintain responsibility for the quality and appearance of the conversion;
2. to comply with applicable statutes, regulations, codes, ordinances, and covenants pertaining to the project, the failure of which may result in rebate forfeiture, or postponement or rejection of this Application;
3. to accept any tax liability related to payments received under this Agreement;
4. to abide and be bound by the terms stated in this Application and Agreement and in the Conservation Easement, if applicable, and that the terms of those documents may be invoked by the Authority;
5. that upon the Authority’s determination that you fulfilled the requirements of this Application and Agreement, payment will be made by the Authority to you as consideration;
6. that payment of the incentive by the Authority does not constitute compliance with Assembly Bill 356;
7. that the rebate amount is subject to change and will be paid at the rate that is currently in place at the time the project is complete;
8. that assignment or transfer of your interest in this agreement without the Authority’s prior written approval shall be void;
9. this Agreement may not be modified except by written instrument executed by both Parties or their designees;
10. that if any term of this Agreement is unenforceable or invalid, such term shall be excluded to that extent; the Agreement shall otherwise remain enforceable; and the invalid or unenforceable term shall be deemed replaced by a valid and enforceable term that most closely states the invalid or unenforceable term’s intent. If this Paragraph’s application materially and adversely affects a Party, by altering the contemplated economic substance, that Party shall be entitled to compensation for the impact.
11. Nevada law shall govern interpretation of this Agreement, without reference to its choice of law provisions and that the exclusive venue for any dispute arising from the terms of this Agreement shall be Clark County, Nevada;
12. this Agreement does not create any right in or benefit to parties other than the Authority and the Applicant and does not create any third-party beneficiary rights or causes of action; the failure of either Party to enforce a provision of the Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of such provisions or of the rights of such Party to enforce each and every such provision; and,
13. this Agreement contains the Parties’ entire understanding of the contemplated transactions, notwithstanding any previous negotiations or agreements, oral or written, between the Parties concerning all or any part of the subject matter hereof. All prior or contemporaneous agreements, understandings, representations, and statements, oral or written, regarding this Agreement’s subject matter are merged in this Agreement and shall be of no further force or effect.

A. New customers must be eligible to participate in the Southern Nevada Water Authority's ("Authority") Water Smart Landscape Program ("WSL Program"), which requires, in part, that such customers water and/or groundwater account must be in good standing with the applicable agency or municipality.

B. To be eligible for the Authority's Tree Canopy Enhancement Program ("Tree Program"), customers must be current participants in the WSL Program.

A. New Living Trees: The Tree Program requires the installation of new living trees selected from the List of Qualifying Trees. 

B. Tree Specifications:

1. Each tree must have a minimum canopy value of 236-square feet, which is at least 20-foot canopy at maturity.
2. Eligible tree(s) must be in an American Standard Nursery Stock ANSI-Z60 #15 container or larger with a minimum height of 5-feet. Height measurement shall be taken from the ground level. In addition, a caliper of 1-2 inches is required. Caliper will be measured from six (6) inches above the ground level.

C. Efficient Irrigation: Qualifying trees must be irrigated through a drip system with a filter, pressure regulator, and emitters rated at 20 gallons per hour or less. Irrigation must be designed to accommodate the tree at maturity. Irrigation systems must be free of malfunctions and leaks and required components must be visible for inspection.

A. New living trees planted in the converted area(s) to satisfy the WSL Program’s living-canopy requirement will qualify for an incentive of $100 per-tree, up to 100 percent canopy coverage, for the converted area(s). Larger canopy trees will be counted first.

B. Any additional trees or plants providing canopy coverage beyond 100 percent will not be eligible for the incentive. This includes trees that are existing in the converted area and may be included in the WSL Program.

C. Acknowledgement and Agreement: You, the applicant, hereby acknowledge, understand, and agree to the above supplemental program conditions in addition to the WSL Program conditions.

D. Incentive Payment: The Authority will issue a Tree Program incentive rebate at the time the WSL Program incentive is paid.