Find out how much Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) will pay you to remove your lawn.
Rate
$3/sq ft
Min area
None
Complete by
6months
Payment
Billcredit
Pre-approval required — Desert-Friendly Xeriscape Conversion Rebate requires written approval before any work starts. Starting early is an automatic disqualification.
You qualify if all of these apply:
You will be disqualified if any of these apply:
Already know you qualify? Skip to application →
Not sure? More info at ABCWUA →
Your estimated rebate
Enter your lawn size in Step 2 to see your estimate →
$3/ sq ft
Allow 7–9 months total from application to bill credit: a few weeks for inspection, up to 6 months to do the work, then 1–2 billing cycles for the credit to appear.
Data verified May 10, 2026. Not affiliated with XCR.
ABCWUA pays $3 per square foot for all converted square footage. There is no minimum project size and no published per-project cap — the rate applies to the full converted area.
No. ABCWUA eliminated the minimum square footage requirement. Even a small patch of turf qualifies. Large projects can be done in phases.
No. You must apply online and receive a Notice to Proceed before starting any work — and before stopping irrigation to the lawn. Projects that have already been started or completed are ineligible.
Possibly not. The program requires existing spray irrigation to be actively watering the lawn at the time of the initial inspection. If you've already stopped watering, contact ABCWUA at 505-289-3026 before applying.
Yes. All spray irrigation in the converted area must be converted to drip lines or bubblers as part of the project. Leaving spray heads in place will disqualify the rebate for that area.
Plants must be on the ABCWUA Xeriscaping Guide approved list — over 600 low- to medium-water-use species. You can search the list at 505outside.com. At least 50% of the converted area must be covered by these plants at maturity.
No. A gravel-only or artificial turf conversion without qualifying plants does not meet the 50% plant coverage requirement. Gravel and DG are acceptable as mulch between plants but cannot substitute for plant coverage.
As a credit on your ABCWUA water bill — not a check. The credit appears within 1–2 billing cycles after your final inspection is processed and approved.