Conservation Corner

Tips, resources and news about water-use efficiency

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Water-Use Efficiency Rebates for Businesses

As extreme drought grips the Southwest, businesses across California are taking a variety of water-saving actions. The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies offer business rebates and other incentives to help businesses save money while saving water. State ban on commercial turf The state’s watering ban was put into place on […]

Jeanne Reutunger transformed a neglected front yard into a beautiful native garden and the winner of the 2022 City of Escondido Landscape Makeover Contest. Photo: City of Escondido

Escondido Landscape Makeover Winner Goes from Weeds to Wow

When Jeanne Reutlinger moved to her Escondido home in 2019, the neglected front yard was full of weeds, baked by the sun, and car exhausts from the street. Three years later, Reutlinger’s vision and hard work for a natural low maintenance habitat created a pollinator’s paradise full of native plants. Her efforts won the 2022 […]

Bryan and Denee Felber's conversion from turf to low-water use landscaping earned the Chula Vista homeowners the 2022 Otay Water District WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Contest win. Photo: Otay Water District

Chula Vista Homeowners Win Otay Water District’s 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest

Chula Vista homeowners Bryan and Denee Felber earned “Best in District” honors as the winner of the Otay Water District’s 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest. Converting 2,143 square feet of turf to a drought-tolerant garden in 2015 continues to save water and pay off for the Felbers while beautifying their neighborhood. The Felbers live in the […]

The Cavanah family's colorful, watersmart landscape is the winner of the 2022 Sweetwater Authority Landscape Makeover contest. Photo: Sweetwater Authority less water

More Beauty, Less Water Wins Sweetwater Authority’s 2022 Landscape Contest

The Sweetwater Authority named Nancy Cavanah of Chula Vista its 2022 winner of the WaterSmart Landscape Contest. Cavanah was recognized at the Authority’s June Governing Board meeting. The Cavanah’s landscape was selected from a diverse pool of applicants as the best example of how to create a beautiful landscape using less water. Colorful plants replace […]

Mike and Cathy Godfrey’s water-efficient landscape design features a diverse array of drought-tolerant plants. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District landscape diversity

Landscape Diversity Showcased By 2022 Olivenhain Municipal Water District Contest Winner

Mike and Cathy Godfrey’s water-efficient landscape design is the winner of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest. The Godfreys were recognized at the June OMWD Board of Directors meeting. “Maximizing water efficiency outdoors is especially important as drought conditions remain in effect across the state,” said OMWD Board Director Neal Meyers. “Showcasing […]

Summer of Water Conservation-Save Our Water-News Conference

Summer of Water Conservation in California

State, regional, and local leaders are joining forces to urge water conservation across San Diego County and statewide at the start of summer. With drought conditions worsening in every corner of the Southwest, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called on residents and businesses to take additional conservation measures to help ease the effects of extreme […]

San Marcos residents joined officials including San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, and San Marcos City Councilmember Ed Musgrove; City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Commissioners Danyte Mockus-Valenzuela and Judy Prestininzi; and VWD board members Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson, Ph.D, Jim Pennock, and Mike Sannella at Woodland Park to fill new reusable bottles with fresh drinking water at the new fill station. Photo: Vallecitos Water District Wags and Water Festival

Wags and Water Festival Brings Canines and Water Conservation Together

Adoptable dogs and even a few cats found new homes and called attention to new water conservation measures at five San Marcos parks at the first “Wags and Water Festival.” The event was organized by the Vallecitos Water District and the City of San Marcos. Residents joined officials, including San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and […]

Farley visits one of the new hydration stations in San Marcos. Photo: Vallecitos Water District Wags and Water

Wags and Water Festival Brings Canines and Water Conservation Together

The Vallecitos Water District and the City of San Marcos will celebrate the installation of five new hydration stations at local parks while also supporting pet adoption. The “Wags & Water Festival” takes place at Woodland Park in San Marcos on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to Noon. Water conservation San Marcos and Vallecitos […]

Water Conservation-A side by side look at before and after photos of the Rancho San Diego Association landscape renovation, completed with assistance from the County's Landscape Optimization Service. Photos: Courtesy Rancho San Diego HOA

Spring Valley HOA and Watershed Benefit From Landscape Optimization Service

Conserving water and reducing pollution are two of many benefits from a new program in San Diego County. Through a partnership between the County of San Diego’s Watershed Protection Program and the San Diego County Water Authority, residences and businesses in unincorporated areas of the county became eligible for newly enhanced water-use efficiency rebates in […]

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San Diego Tree Week: Concerts and Free Trees

The Water Conservation Garden is celebrating Spring this year by launching San Diego Tree Week. The goal, from April 22-29, is to plant 1,000 trees and bring San Diego residents together through tree planting. As drought stretches into a third year in California, The Water Conservation Garden hopes the tree week campaign will help educate […]

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California Drought Demands Statewide Water Conservation Effort

California is in the third year of drought and water agencies and officials statewide are urging residents and businesses to increase their water conservation. April 1 is typically when the snowpack is at its highest, however the statewide snowpack likely peaked in early-March this year and the Northern Sierra snowpack peaked in mid-January, according to […]

WaterSmart Drought-Tolerant Plant Giveaway in Encinitas

The San Diego County Water Authority and three member agencies are partnering with Altman Plants for an Adopt-A-Plant event Saturday in Encinitas. Vista-based Altman Plants, the largest nursery plant grower in the nation, has led efforts to increase water-efficiency and sustainability. The first 500 guests will receive free Smart Planet-brand drought-tolerant succulents to spur more […]

WaterSmart Landscape Contest-Lauren Grey's new landscaping filled with vibrant blooming plants is the 2021 Vista Irrigation District Landscape Makeover Contest winner. Photo: Vista Irrigation District Vista 2021 Contest

San Diego Water Agencies Seek Inspiring WaterSmart Landscape Contest Entries

Eleven participating San Diego County water agencies invite homeowners to share their inspiring landscaping makeover stories by entering the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest. The annual contest recognizes outstanding WaterSmart residential landscapes. The winning landscape from each participating water agency will receive a prize valued at $250 and may be recognized in print and online publications. […]

San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones demonstrates how to find leaks in the new Fix-A-Leak-Week 2022 video from the Vallecitos Water District. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Invest In Water Conservation During Fix a Leak Week 2022

Fix a Leak Week is a time to check indoor and outdoor plumbing systems for leaks. This year’s reminder about water conservation comes as California and much of the U.S. Southwest are in the third consecutive year of drought. Minor water leaks account for more than one-trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes […]

The Water-Energy Program works toward increasing water efficiency throughout the region by focusing on replacing inefficient fixtures with state-of-the-art water-saving devices in disadvantaged communities. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Water-Energy Program Helps Low-Income Families Achieve Savings

The San Diego County Water Authority’s water-energy partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric is seeking $1.8 million in additional funding through 2026 to continue saving water and energy for thousands of income-qualified residents across the San Diego region. For more than 25 years, the Water Authority’s Water-Energy Nexus Program, or WEN, has maximized energy […]