By Evan Magallanes
(5-7minute read)
One of the biggest drivers of water use for many single-family homes is outdoor irrigation, which on average accounts for nearly half of a home’s total water consumption. While green grass is a classic look, landscaping choices are among the most impactful decisions a homeowner can make for their water bill and support the City’s water resiliency and long-term stability.
To help reduce water use and water bills, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) runs the Landscape Efficiency Assistance Program (LEAP)—a little known no-cost program that helps qualifying customers replace traditional lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping. This switch can significantly reduce outdoor water use, saving water and money for years to come.
Why OPA Is Highlighting This Program
At the Office of Public Accountability (OPA), part of our job is helping Angelenos understand not just why their bills change, but what programs exist to help reduce those costs. LEAP does exactly this, and it offers clear and measurable benefits to customers at no direct cost. It’s also fully funded by external sources – so it’s like free money to both the utility and its customers.
Depending on lawn size, a complete landscape overhaul can cost between $7,000 and $42,000. LEAP tries to remove that barrier entirely while generating ongoing savings. There are also broader benefits: if programs like LEAP succeed in normalizing drought-tolerant landscaping across Los Angeles neighborhoods, they can generate durable, city-wide reductions in outdoor water demand. That kind of change will make our water system more resilient against drought.
We recognize that many customers face barriers when trying to access assistance programs. OPA’s goal is to have a positive impact on customer bills, utility costs, and the overall health of the City’s water system through increased awareness and accessibility for high-impact programs like LEAP.
The Details: What is the Landscape Efficiency Assistance Program (LEAP)?
Through December 31, 2026, LEAP offers eligible LADWP customers living within Disadvantaged Communities free services to replace traditional lawns with sustainable, drought-tolerant landscapes. The program covers the full cost of design, installation, and infrastructure upgrades.
The program includes:
- Design & Planting: Installing California Friendly® landscapes with a variety of native and drought-tolerant plants. LADWP provides multiple design templates to choose from, depending on where you live.
- Smart Irrigation: Converting old sprinklers to drip irrigation and installing weather-based controllers.
- Rain Capture: Adding features like rain barrels or rock gardens to keep water in the ground.
- Monitoring: Participants receive a free Flume Smart Water meter to track usage in real-time.
If the program is fully utilized, LEAP is projected to save over 85 million gallons of water annually—enough to supply more than 1,000 households every year. Eligible customers who participate may be able to reduce their outdoor water use by up to 75%. This substantial reduction in outdoor water use can potentially save customers hundreds to thousands of dollars each year on their water bills, depending on their current water use practices and yard size.
A New Way of Looking at Landscaping
Drought-tolerant landscape design has evolved considerably over the past decade. California Friendly® designs have been put together with help from landscaping processional and are mean to be colorful, textured, and deliberately tailored to the character of individual Los Angeles neighborhoods. The plants are also distinctly suited to thrive in Southern California’s light and climate.
For many homeowners, replacing traditional turf is becoming less about sacrifice and more about rethinking what a low-maintenance native plant yard looks like in a city that gets, on average, less than 15 inches of rain per year. This shift in perspective matters beyond the individual property too. If drought-tolerant landscaping becomes the neighborhood norm rather than the exception, Los Angeles can achieve sustained reductions in outdoor water demand through programs like LEAP. And if a homeowner isn’t interested in a full lawn replacement, the LEAP program also offers an irrigation efficiency upgrade as well!
Below are examples of LEAP installations in two Los Angeles neighborhoods:
Boyle Heights: Golden barrel cacti, swan hill olive trees, and dedicated rain gardens.
Sunland & Pacoima: Vibrant California wildflowers like California Fuchsia, El Dorado Fremontia, and native irises.
Are You Eligible?
To qualify, you must:
- Be an LADWP customer in a single-family residence.
- Live in a designated Disadvantaged Community (check the map here).
- Have a live, green lawn between 500 and 3,000 square feet.
- Renters are welcome to apply with landlord permission.
How to Apply
Applications are open now, but the grant funding is first-come, first-served.
- Log in: Go to myaccount.ladwp.com.
- Gather Photos: You’ll need 5 photos of your lawn, 3 of your water source (irrigation system/valves), and 3 of your roof (showing gutters/downspouts if present).
- Measure: Use Google Earth or a tape measure to estimate your lawn size. Visit ladwp.com/LEAP for how-to video guidelines on measuring your lawn size.
Customers who do not qualify for LEAP may still be eligible for a rebate of $5 per square foot through LADWP’s standard Turf Replacement Rebate.
Personal Savings Meets Public Good
The individual benefits of LEAP are real and measurable—lower water bills, zero installation costs, and a yard better suited to the climate. But the program’s significance extends beyond any one household. Los Angeles faces a long-term challenge in aligning its water demand with a more constrained and variable supply. Meeting that challenge will require infrastructure investment, innovation, and sustained changes in how residents use water at home. Outdoor landscaping is one of the best areas for that kind of change, and programs like LEAP represent a practical, evidence-based tool for moving the needle.
The grant funding that makes LEAP possible is time-limited and will not last beyond December 31, 2026. OPA encourages eligible customers to explore the program at ladwp.com/LEAP or by contacting LEAP@ladwp.com.