BY RACHEL MCGUIRE 

Western Municipal Water District turf to be eliminated and replaced with climate-appropriate landscaping.

Riverside – When Western Municipal Water District, Riverside Community College (RCC) and the Santa AnaWatershed Association (SAWA) were searching for an inspiring way to promote landscape water-use efficiency, they didn’t have to look any further than beyond their own front door.            With more than 60 percent of water use spent outdoors, the organizations banded together in the name of efficiency to replace the grass at 450 E. Alessandro Blvd., in Riverside. This site, which was previously Western’s headquarters and now home to RCC and SAWA, will be transformed with climate-appropriate plants. The project will serve as a public demonstration site highlighting increased water savings and sustainability.The process began just last week with the start of purposely killing off all turf at the facility. The dead turf will then be removed to make space for the installation of a more environmentally friendly landscape designed to maximize water savings in a region that’s not only semi-arid, but also currently in the midst of a serious drought.

The location for the outdoor transformation is ideal due to its proximity to the Westerns’ water efficiency garden – Landscapes Southern California Style(SM) – which serves as an invaluable water-use efficiency exhibit for the public. Once complete this winter, the makeover and Landscapes Southern California Style(SM) will provide a wide range of water-efficient landscaping ideas, some of which already have District-sponsored incentives available to customers.

The public is invited to visit Landscapes Southern California Style(SM) and observe the phases of the Alessandro Turf Removal Project. Information about the project will be available at the site. The public can also LIKE Western on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter to get play-by-play updates.

Western Municipal Water District provides water supply, wastewater disposal and water resource management to the public in a safe, reliable, environmentally sensitive and financially responsible manner.