DRiP REBATE PROGRAM Drought Resistant Landscape Rebate Program

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1 DRiP REBATE PROGRAM Purpose Azusa Light & Water is providing rebates to customers to encourage the purchase of low water consuming and drought resistant landscape materials, including trees, shrubs, ground covers, flowers and both living and artificial turfs. Rebates are also available for water conserving irrigation systems. The purpose of this program is to create beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes that will, in the long-run, reduce water consumption. This is especially important due to persisting drought conditions. Benefits Reduce water usage Reduce landscape maintenance cost and time Reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides Reduce waste generated from landscape maintenance Attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard Conserve natural resources Lower water utility bills Eligibility All Azusa Light & Water customers, including existing residents, businesses, and schools are eligible to participate in this program. This program will continue to operate beginning July 1, 2007 until further notice. Applicants may only apply one time during each fiscal year of July 1 st through June 30. Plants specified within this program qualify for rebates; however, you may suggest additional plants for consideration. You MUST have an adjustable irrigation system to prevent over-watering. If you do not have such a system, you MUST install one. Water conserving irrigation systems are eligible for rebate funds under this program. Rebate The rebate will be in the form of a check with a maximum of $1,400 per existing residential water customer, and up to $15,000 for school and business customers. This program has limited funding and will continue on a first-come, first-served basis until program funds for the year are exhausted. This program shall at all times be subject to change or termination without prior notice. In order to participate in the DRiP rebate program, you must purchase a minimum of $100 in plants and/or irrigation system devices and comply with the requirements of this program application. Rebates will be issued as described below: Plants and trees are eligible for a 50% rebate as long as costs for items are within reasonable market prices. Mulch used for landscape areas proposed through your application is eligible to receive a 50% rebate with a maximum of $50 for residents. Living turf is eligible to receive a 50% rebate with a maximum of $200 for residents, provided the living turf area does not exceed 50% of the proposed project area. In order to receive a rebate on living turf, the project area must include a minimum of 50% of nonturf area with plants listed from the DRiP plant list. Premium quality artificial turf is eligible for a 50% rebate, providing it is pre-approved and the maximum rebate does not exceed the maximum amounts allowed per resident/business through this program. Irrigation system changes or new installations will be eligible for up to 50% of the irrigation system cost, however, the overall cost of the plants and irrigation system cannot exceed the maximum amounts allowed per resident/business through this program. Page 1

2 STEP 1. The Application A complete Application Package (pages 1-5) must be submitted with: Completed and signed Rebate Application Request form. A Site Plan of the existing yard (hand drawing, professional drawing, or computer drawing), which includes the following information: o The location of the house and any other buildings. o The location of driveways, walkways, and fences. o The location of any existing installed irrigation system (sprinkler system). o Scale and north arrow. o All existing plants must be labeled and those to be removed shall be noted. o 2-4 photographs of the existing yard. A Site Plan of the proposed yard which includes the following information: o The location of the house and any other buildings. o The location of driveways, walkways, and fences. o The location of existing and proposed irrigation system (sprinkler system). o The location of each proposed plant, including the plant s name and size (e.g., gallons or box size) o Scale and north arrow. Proposed Plants/Turf and Irrigation Listings including: o Each plant/turf name, size/area, plant/turf price, and total proposed rebate. o A materials listing for irrigation system changes, including prices for materials, proposed rebate amount, and total proposed rebate amount. STEP 2. The Installation Once you have received approval from the Azusa Light & Water staff, you may purchase the plants and begin installation. Approval of an application does not guarantee a rebate. The installation process must include the following: All existing vegetation and root systems must be removed, unless approved by the Azusa Light & Water staff. A minimum of 3 inches of organic mulch must be placed around trees and a minimum of 2 inches must be placed around plants. Edging must be used between turf and beds. New landscape MUST have adequate irrigation systems to support the new plant materials. Completion must be accomplished at least 6 weeks after approval date. STEP 3. The Sprinkler System Inspection Proposed landscapes that will use an existing sprinkler system must have an Azusa Light & Water staff member perform a free irrigation audit in order to determine if the system is working efficiently. All deficiencies must be corrected before the rebate can be processed. STEP 4. Verification of Receipts Once installation is complete, return the Rebate Application Request Form and submit it to the address shown on the form; attach and submit the following: (1) Plants/Turf Form and Irrigation Form; and (2) your original receipts or final invoice(s) from suppliers and contractors. All receipts will become property of Azusa Light & Water; therefore we encourage you to keep copies of your receipts. STEP 5. The Final Inspection When Azusa Light & Water staff receives your receipts and the Rebate Application Request Form, we will call you within 14 days to schedule a final inspection. Once this is complete, a check will be issued to you for approved amount. Page 2

3 DRiP REBATE PROGRAM GUIDELINES DESIGN LANDSCAPE Attached is a listing of drought resistant or drought tolerant plants. All of the plants on the list are considered drought tolerant, however, some plants are able to tolerate less watering than others. Those with the highest drought tolerance level are rated H for high. Others are rated M for medium and L for low. Following are some suggestions for designing, planting, and irrigating drought resistant landscapes. It is VERY IMPORTANT when designing your low water consuming, drought tolerant landscape that you locate plants with the same drought tolerance ratings together. Plants falling into the high category should be grouped with others in the high category. Often, low and medium plant material can be interchangeable depending on their relative ranking. Trees and shrubs require less water than turf and should always be set up on a separate zone from turf areas. When designing your landscape, we advise that you consult with your nursery. Drought tolerant plant material must be acclimated to the new landscape. Many people make the mistake in thinking that drought tolerant plant material does not need to be established in the landscape before it becomes truly drought tolerant. Depending on the time of year that material is planted, new landscapes should be watered on a 1-3 times per week basis. This watering cycle is usually followed for approximately one year depending on the overall landscape design. Most drought tolerant plant material and more specifically most California native plants are most successfully planted between October 15 th and April 15 th. Planting outside of this seasonal window often presents mortality issues with the more difficult species. Most drought tolerant plant material is best watered using systems that encourage deep, infrequent watering. For small scale applications, drip or micro irrigation, when properly designed and installed, facilitates deep watering. Surface watering through traditional systems, especially if the areas are irrigated frequently, encourage lateral surface root growth rather than deep rooting. In time, plants watered under this surface system often do not become drought tolerant and are reliant on the surface water for survival.. At times, irrigation of drought tolerant and native plant material can be counter-intuitive. Some species may show typical signs of stress that may convince an individual to provide the plant more water (i.e. drying or yellowing leaves, etc.). However, there are many California natives and other drought tolerant species that will significantly suffer or die if the improper quantity of water is applied during the summer months. Rather, the plants should be let to show some signs of stress as they become accustomed to the changing seasons. Once plant material is established, the following irrigation guidelines may be helpful. These guidelines assume that an irrigation system is installed that will provide deep watering with little to no runoff. These guidelines are for the late Spring to early Fall months when daytime temperatures are typically high in the City of Azusa. o Plant material listed as high level of drought tolerance: 1-2 times per month depending on exact weather and site conditions. o Plant material listed as medium level of drought tolerance: 2-6 times per month depending on exact weather and site conditions. o Plant material listed as low level of drought tolerance: 4-8 times per month depending on exact weather and site conditions. Page 3

4 You may consider obtaining plant and other materials from the following listing of nurseries: IRRIGATION SYSTEMS Burkhard's Nursery 690 N. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, CA (P) (F) California Cactus Center 216 S. Rosemead Blvd. Pasadena, CA (P) (F) El Nativo Growers, Inc. 200 S. Peckham Rd (Mailing Address only) Azusa, CA (P) (F) Persson's Nursery 3115 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, CA (P) (F) Rainbow Gardens Nursery 1132 S. Grand Ave. Glendora, CA (P) (F) San Gabriel Nursery 632 S. San Gabriel Blvd. San Gabriel, CA (P) (F) An irrigation system can be a great convenience and a water saving system if designed, installed and managed properly. It can also save you money on the cost for water service. Here are a few tips: Set up irrigation zones for plants based on the water needs of your plant groupings, sun exposure, slopes with significant run-off, and proximity to concrete. Use sprinklers that apply water evenly. High efficiency nozzles eliminate brown spots and over watering. Low angle nozzles should be installed in windy areas. Every reduction of 5 psi in water pressure reduces water usage by 6-8%. The savings is over 50% if a 70 psi spray zone is reduced to the recommended 30 psi. So, design for an optimum 30 psi water delivery to spray heads to avoid wasteful misting/fogging. This can be achieved with pressure regulating spray heads, pressure reducing valves, and pressure regulating modules installed on valves. Check the operating pressure of the irrigation system with a pressure gauge to ensure the right sprinklers are chosen for the pressure. High pressure can result in misting and water waste. Low pressure can result in uneven coverage and brown spots. Page 4

5 Consider a drip irrigation system for tree and shrub areas. Drip irrigation systems deliver water slowly and evenly to help plants thrive, reduce weeds, and eliminate run-off onto walks and streets. Minimize over spray onto non-growing surfaces such as streets, buildings, and decks by placing spray heads away from such surfaces. Where over spray is not preventable, consider designing border areas with drip irrigation. Install an automatic timer (controller) with multiple functions. Multiple program controllers allow greater flexibility to accommodate the watering needs of diverse landscapes. The following are some of the key features currently available in controllers for maximum flexibility and water efficiency: o Multiple start times (to prevent run-off and puddles) o Multiple independent programs (to accommodate the watering needs of different types of plants) o Water Budget (to provide flexible adjustments to the amount of water used for irrigation) o Cycle and Soak (to avoid erosion and run-off on slopes and heavily compacted soil) o Rain Delay (to pause a watering schedule when irrigation isn t needed) Consider an automatic shut-off device like a rain sensor or moisture sensor. These devices automatically shut-off the controller when it is raining or when sufficient soil moisture is reached. Adjust your irrigation schedule monthly (or even better - weekly) to account for different watering needs as the seasons change. You can refer to the Metropolitan Water District s Sprinkler Index to determine weekly or month adjustments at: The water budget feature on a controller can accommodate this function. Set up your system to irrigate between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. to save on water due to evaporation and wind, and save your landscape from compaction caused by heavy traffic on wet soils. Check for leaks by using a water meter or with regular visual inspections. Additional information can be obtained on Rain Bird s website: Hunter s web site at: Toro s web site at: or Referrals to contractors in your area who install irrigation systems can be obtained by contacting Rain Bird s technical support services at , or local nurseries. Water Efficient Products Eligible for Rebate: The following information has been provided at the courtesy of Rain Bird and does not in any way represent an endorsement by the City of Azusa of Rain Bird or any of its products or services. Product Type Pressure Regulating Pop-Up Spray Head Product Name Rain Bird 1800 PRS or equivalent* Page 5

6 Pressure Regulating Pop-Up Spray Head with built-in Rain Bird 1800 SAM PRS or equivalent* check valve (for landscapes with varying elevations) High Efficiency Nozzles for spray heads or rotors Rain Bird U-Series Nozzles (spray heads) and Rain Curtain Nozzles (rotors) or equivalent Rain Sensor or Automatic Shut-off device Rain Bird RSD-BEx or CEx Rain Sensor or equivalent Multiple Program Controller Rain Bird ESP MC Controller, LX+ Controller, E-Class Controller, IM Controller or equivalent Central Control System Rain Bird Maxicom Central Control System or equivalent Pressure Regulating Module for Valves Rain Bird PRS-Dial or equivalent Pressure Reducing Valve Rain Bird PRV Valve or equivalent Flow Control Valve Rain Bird DVF, ASVF, PGA, PEB, GB or equivalent Root Watering System Rain Bird RWS Series or equivalent Low Volume ( Drip ) irrigation components Rain Bird Xerigation products or equivalent *To quantify water and cost savings you can achieve by using this product, log onto Rain Bird s web-site: (water savings) or (water and cost savings) Rain Bird products, and equivalent or similar professional-grade products from Hunter, Toro and other irrigation system manufacturers, are available from the distributors listed below: For professionally-installed irrigation systems: J. Harold Mitchell Company 305 Agostino Road San Gabriel, CA (626) Hydro-Connections 545 N. 2 nd Avenue Covina, CA (626) Ewing Irrigation 433 Borrego Court San Dimas, CA (909) Marsan Turf & Irrigation 519 W. Terrace Drive San Dimas, CA (909) For homeowner-installed irrigation systems: To find a retailer in your area, view a step-by-step installation guide/video, view water conservation tips, and/or obtain a customized irrigation system plan for your yard, visit Rain Bird s Do-It-Yourself web site: or the following do-ityourself site: or Additional tech support is available by contacting Rain Bird s technical support services at or local nurseries. DRiP REBATE PROGRAM REBATE APPLICATION Page 6

7 REQUEST In order to get your rebate check from Azusa Light & Water, you must fill out this form and the two attached forms which list the actual materials that you used on your project. Additionally, you must submit original receipts for the materials used on your project to: Program Sponsor: Azusa Light & Water 729 N. Azusa Avenue Azusa, CA Tel: (626) * FAX: (626) Contact: Paul Reid Application for Applicant Name: Water Acct No. Address: City/State/Zip: Telephone: Completion Date: Installation Contractor Name (if any): Requested Rebate Amount: APPLICANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/COMMITMENTS I understand that to receive the rebate, an Azusa Light & Water representative must perform a pre and final inspection. I understand that the rebate will be issued as a rebate check, and that this rebate will be mailed 4-6 weeks after the final inspection. I understand that Azusa Light & Water reserves the right to deny any rebate application if the applicant does not comply with the program qualifications, procedures, and specifications. I understand that my rebate will not exceed the rebate amounts set forth in this rebate program application package. I understand that personal labor cost is excluded. I understand that only plants, artificial turf and irrigation system costs will qualify for the rebate, and only those plants listed in this DRiP program application package are eligible for reimbursement, unless otherwise approved in writing. I understand that plants required by lending institutions, new home landscaping requirements or as part of the builder s standard package do not qualify for the rebate, unless a smart weather based controller is incorporated into the irrigation system. I understand that each water account may participate only once a year in the DRiP Program. I understand that an Azusa Light & Water staff member must audit my sprinkler system. I understand that work completion must be accomplished by 6 weeks after approval date, and that plants must be planted in agreed upon locations. Before planting any trees, I will call Underground Service Alert (also known as Dig Alert) at at least two working days before digging any holes. This is a free service. Dig Alert will contact all utilities on my behalf. Within 48 hours, the utilities will come out to my property and mark all underground utility lines. This will insure that I not hit any underground lines while digging holes for my trees. I agree to maintain my landscape in a water efficient manner & comply with all City Ordinances regarding water use. Applicant Signature & Date: Page 7

8 DRiP REBATE PROGRAM PLAN EXISTING SITE INSTRUCTIONS In the box below or on attached pages, show existing location of house or other buildings, including fences, walkways, driveways, and existing irrigation system of area where proposed work will be done. Show all existing plants, including the plant s name. Also note which plants will be removed. Attach 2-4 photos of area where proposed work will be done. Front Yard Back Yard Other Site address: Page 8

9 FOR CITY USE INSPECTED BY: DATE: DRiP REBATE PROGRAM PROPOSED SITE PLAN INSTRUCTIONS In the box below or on attached pages, show existing location of house or other buildings, including fences, walkways, driveways, and existing irrigation system of area where proposed work will be done. Show all proposed plants, including the plant s name and size. Include proposed irrigation system changes and where new sprinkler heads will be located. Front Yard Back Yard Other Site address: Page 9

10 FOR CITY USE INSPECTED BY: DATE: DRiP REBATE PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS PLANTS/TURF In the table below, list all plants that were actually used in completing this project. Include common name, quantity, size, price, total cost, and calculate proposed refund for all plants at bottom of page. Make copies of this page before you start if you need to use additional pages. As an alternative, an itemized receipt may be attached to verify installation. Name of Proposed Plant, Turf, or Mulch Qty. Size (gallon, box, bag, pallet or yard) Price Per Plant or Other Unit TOTAL TOTAL COST: TOTAL PROPOSED REBATE: (Total Cost multiplied by 50%) FOR CITY USE INSPECTED BY: DATE: Page 10

11 DRiP REBATE PROGRAM IRRIGATION INSTRUCTIONS In the table below list all irrigation system components that were actually purchased and installed for this project. Include components by name, quantity, price, and total cost for all quantities for each component. Then, provide total for all components and calculate rebate request at bottom of page. Make copies of this page before you start, if you need to use additional pages. As an alternative, an itemized receipt may be attached to verify installation. Name and Type of Proposed Component or Device (e.g., sprinklers, risers, PVC pipe, Ts, elbows, and controllers) Qty. Price Per Unit TOTAL TOTAL COST: TOTAL PROPOSED REBATE: (Total Cost multiplied by 50%) FOR CITY USE INSPECTED BY: DATE: Page 11