Mesa's grass-to-xeriscape incentive for HOAs and businesses
Mesa pays $2 per square foot of grass removed, up to $50,000 per property in a 12-month period. The minimum project is 2,500 square feet. Commercial properties, HOAs, apartment communities, churches and schools can qualify if they're City of Mesa water customers using potable water to irrigate common areas, and the applicant has to be the property owner.
Quick math: converting 10,000 square feet of grass would be worth $20,000, and a 25,000 square foot project would reach the $50,000 cap.
- The grass has to be healthy: routinely watered and maintained, with about 70% average coverage
- New plants must come from ADWR's low-water-use list and cover at least 50% of the area at maturity
- Artificial turf or rock alone doesn't qualify
- Mulch has to be at least two inches deep
- The work must be finished within 180 days of the city's approvals
Don't let the grass die to save water before you apply. Mesa wants to see healthy, maintained turf at the inspection, and dead grass can shrink or sink the incentive.
The rule that costs boards the most: approval first
City staff inspect the property before anything happens, and no grass can be removed until Mesa issues a notice to proceed. A board that hires a crew and rips out turf before approval has usually given up the incentive for that area.
Boards also need a corporate resolution or meeting minutes authorizing the application, and Mesa needs a W-9 to pay. Funding depends on the city's budget each year and isn't guaranteed, so apply early.
Irrigation equipment incentives
Mesa's irrigation equipment incentives pay up to $20,000 per property in a 12-month period, with a $500 minimum request. Eligibility follows the grass-to-xeriscape program. The main items:
- WaterSense smart controller: 50% of wholesale price, up to $2,000 each
- Qualified controller installation: 50% of cost, up to $250 each
- Flow sensor: 50% of wholesale price, up to $1,000 each, plus up to $500 for qualified installation
- High-efficiency nozzles and pressure-regulating spray bodies: 50% of wholesale price, minimum 20, converting an entire zone
- Valve pressure regulators and rain sensors: 50% of wholesale price, up to $100 each
Get approval before you buy anything, then purchase and install within 90 days. Sales tax, shipping and extra parts aren't covered, and the money is first come, first served.
Free help: Waterfluence and landscape assessments
Waterfluence is a free tool for single-family HOAs with at least one dedicated landscape meter. It compares the water you actually use with a budget for your common areas, which makes it easy to see which meters are wasting water. The board president signs up online.
Enrolled HOAs can apply for a free landscape assessment, where an irrigation professional evaluates the system and suggests improvements. Mesa picks communities based on water use and savings potential.
How to put the programs together
The biggest savings usually come from doing all of it in order: use Waterfluence to find the meters that are over budget, convert the grass nobody uses, then upgrade the controllers and nozzles on the turf you keep.
- Walk the property and mark which grass residents actually use
- Apply for the grass-to-xeriscape incentive and wait for the notice to proceed
- Apply for irrigation equipment incentives for the remaining turf
- Convert and upgrade inside the 180-day and 90-day windows
- Watch Waterfluence over the next few seasons to confirm the savings
Pro Turf handles grass removal and xeriscape conversions in Mesa and irrigation repair and upgrades in Mesa, including the measurements, photos and quotes the applications ask for.
Program details change. Confirm current terms with the City of Mesa's water conservation team before you apply. Questions go to conserve@mesaaz.gov or 480-644-3306.
