Albuquerque, NM Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)

Section 6-1-1-8 of the Revised Ordinances of Albuquerque, the city's Water Conservation Landscaping and Water Waste Ordinance, limits how much high water use turf a property may carry. Under subsection (B)(2), city-owned housing and all non-city owned properties besides golf courses cannot put restricted plants or high water use turf, defined to include Bluegrass, Ryegrass, Fescue, and Bentgrass varieties, on more than 20% of the landscape area. For single-family homes the cap runs both directions: subsection (B)(2)(a) provides that if 20% of the lot works out to more than 3,000 square feet, turf is still limited to 3,000 square feet, while subsection (B)(2)(b) sets a 300 square foot floor for small lots where 20% would fall short of that.

Subsection (C) then protects a homeowner's ability to comply: a property holders' association cannot enforce a covenant provision that prohibits or restricts removing turf grass and installing xeriscape landscaping under the (B) restrictions, or installing efficient irrigation such as underground drip systems. An association may still set its own relandscaping criteria to improve water efficiency, but it cannot demand more high water use turf than subsection (B) allows; it can only require that the maximum percentage already allowed be maintained. The ordinance, adopted as Ord.

18-1995 and amended through Ord. ' A property owner who needs relief because compliance causes practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship can seek a variance from the Mayor through the Development Review Board under Section 6-1-1-12(D), with appeals going to the City Council under the Integrated Development Ordinance's variance procedure at Section 14-16-6-4(U).