Water-wise Landscape Rebate Manual

AURORA WATER CONSERVATION

LAST UPDATED FEB 2018

Contents Purpose & Goals ............................................................................................................................................ 2

Program Specifics .......................................................................................................................................... 2

Requirements ............................................................................................................................................ 2

Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................... 2

Rebate Options ......................................................................................................................................... 3

Option 1: Water-wise ............................................................................................................................ 3

Option 2: Z-zone .................................................................................................................................... 3

Rebate Calculations................................................................................................................................... 3

Know Your Flow ........................................................................................................................................ 4

WWLR Application Process ........................................................................................................................... 4

Overview of Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Landscape Designs .................................................................................................................................... 5

Acceptable Design ................................................................................................................................. 6

Unacceptable Design ............................................................................................................................ 7

Plant List for Design ................................................................................................................................ 10

Hardscape Requirement ......................................................................................................................... 10

Installing Your Landscape ........................................................................................................................... 11

Irrigation System Changes ...................................................................................................................... 11

Irrigation Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 11

Planting Procedures ................................................................................................................................ 12

Edging ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

First Inspection ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Mulch and Completing Installation ............................................................................................................. 14

Mulch Requirements ............................................................................................................................... 14

Mulch Preparation .................................................................................................................................. 15

Final Inspection ........................................................................................................................................... 15

Purpose & Goals The purpose of the Water-wise Landscape Rebate (WWLR) program is to incentivize the conversion of

water-guzzling turf lawns to water-wise landscapes. Water-wise landscapes are attractive, lower-

maintenance yards that will save water and withstand drought. The rebate program aims to achieve the

following goals:

Introduce the community to water-wise landscapes

Help customers make informed decisions regarding their outdoor water use and achieve their

conservation goals

Help customers in designing and installing a beautiful new yard that they can be proud of

With these goals in mind, the water-wise landscape rebate program helps customers plan, prepare and

ultimately receive financial reimbursement for their approved landscape conversions.

Program Specifics

Requirements To make this program the most effective it can be, we want to ensure that our rebate program is

targeting Aurora’s high-water lawns. Because of this, participants in the rebate program are held to the

following requirements:

1. Areas to be converted must be in good health.

2. Eligibility is based on historical water consumption and recent photos that demonstrate good

health. See Eligibility section.

3. Only front and side yards that are highly visible to the public are eligible.

4. A 500 square foot minimum size applies to all projects, unless the project is the entire front yard

or tree-lawn (i.e. the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street).

5. All projects must receive approval prior to installation from the WWLR program manager.

6. If you belong to an HOA, you must receive approval prior to beginning the project.

7. Projects must be completed and inspected by Oct. 31 to be eligible for a rebate the same year.

8. All participants are required to also enroll in the Know Your Flow program. See Know Your Flow

section.

Eligibility Office staff determines WWLR eligibility. We look for the following items:

Current lawn is healthy with good coverage and few to no weeds. Several high quality photos to

verify this are needed.

Water bill needs to show sufficient usage during summer months for the size of applicants

property – this typically guarantees a decrease in water consumption after landscape conversion

o This is determined by comparing actual water use, collected from the water bill, to a

recommended water use (RWU), which is based on current landscape size and type (as

seen from satellite imagery).

o The property is eligible if actual use ≥ 80 percent of RWU for a majority of recent years.

Recently moved in? Contact our office at 303.739.7195 to discuss eligibility.

Rebate Options There are two different options available for participants to choose from. Both options are paid out over

time, which allows us to ensure that the new landscapes are being watered appropriately and the

conversion has had the desired reduction on outdoor water consumption. The major differences

between them are the selection limitations on plants, the maximum rebate value, and the full rebate

payout time period.

Option 1: Water-wise

Uses no- and low-water use plant material

Residential maximum rebate of $3,000

Commercial maximum rebate of $10,000 – please contact program manager

Payment schedule:

o 65 percent of rebate value paid after passing final inspection and providing all necessary

paperwork

o 35 percent of rebate value paid after one full growing season, pending realized water

savings*

Option 2: Z-zone

Uses only z-zone plants – i.e. plants that need no supplemental water after establishment. See

approved z-zone plant list

Residential maximum rebate of $4,500

Commercial maximum rebate of $15,000 – please contact program manager

Payment schedule:

o 50 percent paid after passing final inspection and providing all necessary paperwork

o 10 percent paid after first full growing season, pending realized water savings*

o 10 percent paid after second full growing season, pending realized water savings*

o 10 percent paid after third full growing season, pending realized water savings*

o 20 percent paid after fourth full growing season, pending no watering over project area

*Realized water savings demonstrated through water budget and outdoor use ≤ 110% RWU

For both rebate options, if a decrease in outdoor water consumption is not achieved for a particular

year, the rebate for that year will be forfeited. For the Z-zone option, this will not affect the ability to

receive rebate payments for subsequent years.

Rebate Calculations The WWLR will cover all material costs up to a maximum limit, depending on which program option you

choose.

Rebate will cover: plants, rocks, mulch, soil amendments, edging, etc.

Rebate will NOT cover: labor fees, delivery fees, taxes, tool rentals, irrigation materials,

construction of patios/sidewalks/driveway extensions that occur simultaneously, etc.

Please note: irrigation materials are not covered under the WWLR, but certain items (drip conversion,

rain sensors, smart weather-based controllers, etc.) might be covered under our related but separate

Irrigation Rebate program.

Final rebate values will be calculated based on submission of itemized receipts and/or invoices

provided after project completion.

Know Your Flow As mentioned in the requirements section, all participants are required to enroll in our Know Your Flow

program. This program provides free monthly emails that allow you to consistently evaluate your indoor

and outdoor water use, and compare it to a recommended water use customized to your property. It

will also help participants to understand their eligibility for the rebate payments that are dependent on

demonstrated water reductions, which allows them to make adjustments to your watering schedule as

necessary to help ensure you get those payments.

For more information about the program, and to find the enrollment survey, visit:

https://www.auroragov.org/residents/water/water_conservation/know_your_flow/

WWLR Application Process

Overview of Steps 1. Fill out WWLR Application online. You’ll receive an email confirming your successful application

submission with a link to your application that looks like this:

*Do not delete this email. Do not reply to this email. A Water Conservation Specialist will

contact you shortly after your application submission to verify eligibility.

2. Once your property is verified as eligible, you may begin submitting necessary paperwork to get

project approval. This includes:

a. Valid form of government issued photo ID (usually a driver’s license)

b. Pre-photos of landscape (no more than 10)

c. IRS form W9 (blank ones are available here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf )

d. Landscape Design and Plant list – see Landscape Designs section.

i. We offer free design consultations for Aurora Water customers.

Please note: getting a design consultation with us DOES NOT automatically

make you eligible for a rebate. You will still have to complete the eligibility

verification process.

ii. Commercial & Large Multi-family Properties – project may need to go through

the city’s Design Review process. Consult with the Planning Department

regarding scope of project.

Planning Department – Aurora Municipal Center, 2nd floor

From: DoNotReply@apps2auroragov.org

Subject: Aurora Water – Water Wise Landscape Rebate Application Submitted

Planning Phone Number – 303.739.7000

3. Obtain any necessary approvals and permits.

4. Once everything has been approved, you may begin the installation – put in everything but the

mulch.

5. Before mulch goes down, schedule the first inspection. This gives you the opportunity to fix

anything that’s wrong before the mulch is laid.

6. After passing the first inspection, finish the installation by laying down your mulch.

7. Schedule the final inspection.

Landscape Designs All participants must have a landscape design approved by the WWLR program manager before

beginning any installation. This confirms that the project design meets both program requirements and

city code landscape requirements. You are welcome to design your own project, hire a contractor, or

seek help through our free design consultation program. Whichever option you choose though, there

are specific requirements for the design to be approved.

A ‘work of art’ is not necessary. You do not have be an artist to create a landscape design. The design

does, however, need to be clean and clearly labeled with the following requirements:

Design drawn to-scale – standard scales are 1”:8’, 1”:10’ or 1”:16’.

Plants need to be depicted at their mature sizes on design.

Design must have a legend that contains:

o Your name

o Property address

o North arrow

o Graphical scale

o Numerical scale

Design must also label:

o All plants

o Hardscape and important landscape features

o Mulch types

o Remaining turf and/or bed areas, where applicable

The following pages depict acceptable and unacceptable designs:

Acceptable Design

This design below includes all of the requirements listed in the previous section. Important parts have been identified in red.

Numeric scale Graphical scale

North arrow

Hardscape

Plant Symbols

Mulch Type

Unacceptable Design This design would not be approved as is. Take a look and see if you can identify what’s wrong with it.

How can an oak tree be the same size as an ornamental grass?

What is the scale? The distances don’t appear proportional.

What is the mulch coverage?

What is meeting the hardscape requirement?

Here’s that same design, adjusted to meet all of the requirements. As you can see, it is to-scale, with appropriate plant sizes and clear labels.

Plant List for Design The plant list is a separate document that identifies all the plants your project will include. It connects all

of the plant symbols on the design with the plant names, sizes and water requirements. For those who

are designing themselves, a downloadable “Plant List Calculator” is available online at the bottom of this

page. It is an Excel spreadsheet with common low-water use plants. This is the exact plant calculator

that is in our free design consultation service as well. The final product will look like this:

For City Code regulations, a front or side yard must meet or exceed a 50 percent plant coverage

requirement. For the WWLR, a front or side yard must meet or exceed a 60 percent plant coverage

requirement, with no more than 20 percent of moderate water-use plants.

Hardscape Requirement City Code and the WWLR requirements also dictate that all areas visible to the public include a

hardscape feature that provides year-long visual interest. There are three options to choose from to

meet the hardscape requirement:

1. Berm – no more than 2.5’ tall, and the grade

cannot exceed 1:4

2. Boulders – minimum of 3 that are at least 2’ x

3’ x 18”

Installing Your Landscape

Irrigation System Changes You have several options when it comes to watering your landscape: you can use drip irrigation, an

existing spray system or hand-water. The chart below summarizes these options.

Irrigation method Efficiency Cost Ease of

self-install

Hand watered Moderate to

very high Very low N/A

Existing spray system Low N/A N/A

Drip – retrofit Very high Moderate Moderately

difficult

Drip – new system Very high Moderate to

expensive Difficult

Irrigation Requirements

Water supplies must be protected by a backflow prevention device, which will require a permit

for installation if one isn’t already in place. Call the Permit Center (303.739.7420) for a permit

and inspection.

Automatic irrigation systems require a rain sensor.

If drip lines are installed, they must be secured to soil prior to application of mulch.

o We recommend using 5” landscape pins

o No lines should be visible after mulch is laid

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR TREES: Established trees that are surrounded by grass typically get watered

when the grass does. Removing grass from around a tree reduces or eliminates the amount of water the

tree receives. In order to avoid losing your tree, it is vital to consider how your tree(s) will be watered.

The city’s Forestry division provides a guide for tree watering. We recommend transitioning to these

recommendations slowly (i.e. double the water recommendation for the first year post-conversion and

then taper back).

3. Small wall – stone or masonry, must be 1 – 2.5’ tall

Planting Procedures

1. Place plant material according to the design

plan. It is important to follow the landscape

design, but in most cases it’s not necessary to

concern yourself with being exact to the inch.

2. Dig a bowl-shaped hole twice as wide as the

plant container. For all plant types except

trees, the hole should be the depth of the

root ball. For trees, the hole should be dug a

few inches shy of the root ball depth.

3. Thoroughly mix approved compost with the

excavated soil. Composts approved for use are

Class I and Class II. Anything else must receive

prior approval.

Use only native soil when planting trees.

4. Remove plant from container.

Perennials and ornamental grasses – if the plant is root bound,

make 3 to 4 vertical cuts in the root ball with a clean, sharp knife.

Cut off any thick mass of roots at the bottom of the root ball.

Shrubs – if the plant is root bound, cuts may be made in the root

ball but only to the fibrous roots. Do not cut the larger roots, ¼”

or greater.

Trees – do not modify root ball.

Edging Edging must be used to separate planting beds from turf in order to effectively keep grass roots out of

the beds. You may also use it to separate mulch types, but this is not a requirement. The edging

requirements are:

Edging is at least 4” in height

It must be installed leaving no more than ½” out of the soil

It may not be placed on top of the soil

It should not be easily visible

First Inspection The first inspection provides an opportunity for questions to be asked and resolution to take place prior

to finishing the project. It should be scheduled after the plants, irrigation (if applicable) and hardscapes

have been installed but before the mulch goes down. The following is inspected:

Plant type/size match the plant list, and the plant locations match the design plan

Plant holes dug double wide with appropriate soil compaction around plant

Use of class I or class II compost or other approved amendment

Irrigation system (if applicable), including presence of backflow and rain sensor

Site is de-weeded and hazard free

Edging is present to separate any turf sections

Erosion control BMP’s in place where needed and public right-of-ways are clean

5. Place plant in the center of the hole, ensuring that it is

not too deeply planted. Backfill in layers using the soil-

compost mix, firming soil around the plant with fingers

after each layer. There should only be a small quantity of

leftover soil. Consider building a small ring around the

planting area with the remaining soil.

Plant trees so that the root ball is four inches above

grade.

6. Water deeply and thoroughly, making sure to

saturate the soil surrounding the plant.

For complete details on proper planting

techniques, take the Water Conservation class

Water-wise Landscape Start to Finish.

Mulch and Completing Installation After you’ve passed the first inspection and any known issues have been remedied, you may start laying

the mulch. Mulch is an important part of a water-wise landscape, and it helps the landscape retain soil

moisture while mitigating weed growth. Choices for mulch include: organic mulch (bark, wood) and

inorganic mulch (cobble, rock).

Here are some examples of mulch:

Golden Small Chip Shredded Bark

Dark Medium Chip 3” River Rock

Mulch Requirements Mulch must be at least 3” deep.

Weed/Landscape fabric underneath the mulch is option, though not typically recommended

around plant material because of the unnatural barrier that is created between mulch and soil.

At least two mulch types are required by City Code.

o i.e. A combination of river rock and golden small chip, or shredded bark with golden

small chip.

City code also mandates that no more than 50 percent of front and side yards can be covered

by inorganic mulch (rocks); the rest would need to be covered by organic mulch (wood).

There is no limit to the use of organic mulch.

Pea gravel may be used, but not next to pedestrian access points (sidewalks, streets, etc.).

Red mulch, lava rock and recycled mulch products such as ground rubber or crushed concrete

may NOT be used.

Be creative with colors and textures, but sensitive to neighborhood aesthetics.

Mulch Preparation Edging of any sort may NOT be used to keep mulch off the concrete. Instead, excavate soil as shown on

the following slide to provide a place for the mulch to rest.

Final Inspection The final inspection should occur after all issues found in the first inspection have been addressed and

the mulch has been laid. The following items will be inspected:

That there is at least 3” of mulch coverage over the landscape.

Landscape fabric, if used, is securely pinned, tucked and covered with mulch. None should be

visible.

Irrigation lines are all pinned and covered with mulch. None should be visible.

Edging, if used, is pushed in far enough to have minimal showing.

Site is weed-free and looks like a completed project.

After passing the final inspection, it’s just a matter of paperwork! Submit all of your receipts and the

WWLR program manager will in touch with you to finalize everything.

In most cases, if mulch is placed

directly on top of the existing grade

next to a sidewalk, it will continually

fall onto the sidewalk.

To remedy this, remove a section of soil next to

any concrete surface area. We recommend

digging 3-4” below the level of the concrete

and back 18-24”.

*Do not dig to or below bottom of concrete

This works well for inorganic

mulch, but not as well for organic

mulch. Water will likely collect

during a major rain event and

cause organic mulch to float.