Turf replacement is voluntary in Travis County. Several water providers including Austin Water and WTCPUA offer rebates between one and two dollars per square foot of converted lawn to drought-tolerant landscaping or hardscape that meets program criteria.
Travis County does not run a turf-replacement program directly, but most retail water utilities serving the county offer WaterWise or similar incentives. Austin Water provides rebates of one dollar per square foot of converted St. Augustine or Bermuda turf, capped at 3,000 dollars per residential property. West Travis County Public Utility Agency, Travis County WCID districts, and Aqua Texas operate parallel programs with varying caps. Approved replacements include native plant beds with at least 50 percent live cover, decomposed granite paths, and rainwater catchment basins. Pre-approval inspection is typically required before turf removal to qualify for the rebate.
No penalty for keeping turf. Rebate forfeiture is the only consequence if pre-approval is skipped or the replacement landscape fails to meet program coverage standards.
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See how Travis County's turf replacement rebates rules stack up against other locations.
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