LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti announced today that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) will offer even higher rebates to Angelenos who want to conserve water by removing turf from their yards.

Taking advantage of the fall planting season, the turf removal rebate will increase for the next three months from $1.75 to $2 per square foot up to 1,500 square feet, or as much as $375 more per customer. The program expansion is part of Mayor Garcetti’s effort to broaden his successful Save the Drop campaign, and reaffirm his commitment to water conservation.

“Last year may have brought plenty of rain to Los Angeles, but make no mistake — saving water is as important as ever,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Angelenos have already shown that they can step up and conserve. Now, it’s time to double down by removing thirsty grass from our yards, and finding new ways to Save the Drop.”

Earlier this year, Angelenos met Mayor Garcetti’s ambitious goal of reducing city-wide water consumption by 20%. The new phase of the Save the Drop campaign builds on that success by reminding people that sustainable landscaping should be the new normal, not a passing fad. It also helps Angelenos save on their water bills, reduces urban runoff, and protects wildlife habitats.

Conservation is an important part of the Sustainable City plan goal to cut purchases of imported water in half by 2025. Other components of this plan include major projects to clean up the San Fernando Valley aquifer, and to increase water recycling, stormwater capture, and groundwater recharge.

“We are pleased to continue offering our turf replacement rebate — the most popular of all our water conservation programs,” said LADWP General Manager David H. Wright. “Since 2009, Angelenos have removed nearly 50 million square feet of grass, yielding about 2 billion gallons in annual water savings.” He added, “Saying Goodbye to Grass continues to be great way to ensure that we continue saving water and enhance our local water supply for years to come.”

The campaign also reminds Angelenos that trees are an important part of a sustainable landscape. Trees capture rainwater, provide shade, and cool our cities. City Plants, a local nonprofit, partners with LADWP to provide free shade trees for homes and businesses in the City of Los Angeles as part of an energy efficiency program.

“City Plants is proud to partner with Save the Drop.” said Elizabeth Skrzat of City Plants. “Trees use less water than people think and can be an excellent water-wise choice for your garden. Also trees help capture rainwater and ensure that our homes and yards stay cool — reducing overall water and energy use.”

Save the Drop is a program of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles (MFLA), which partnered with the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Water and Power, other city departments, and the creative agency Omelet to achieve the conservation goals set by Mayor Garcetti. More information is available at www.SavetheDropLA.org and www.CadaGotitaCuentaLA.org.