The Water Smart Landscapes program has paid Southern Nevada homeowners to remove 250 million square feet of lawn since 1999. LVVWD customers currently earn $7/sq ft — the highest rate in the country. Here's exactly how the program works, what the conservation easement means, and how to apply without getting disqualified.
TL;DR
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Open calculator →Base rate: first 10,000 sq ft. Above 10,000 sq ft: $2.50 SNWA base (+$2 LVVWD bonus for Las Vegas = $4.50).
SNWA's Water Smart Landscapes (WSL) program pays residential homeowners a cash rebate — not a bill credit — for removing living grass and replacing it with desert-adapted landscaping.
The base rate is $5 per square foot for the first 10,000 sq ft and $2.50 per square foot above that, per property, per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). But what you actually receive depends on which water agency serves your home:
LVVWD customers (City of Las Vegas): $7/sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft ($5 SNWA + $2 LVVWD bonus, effective January 1, 2025) and $4.50/sq ft above 10,000 sq ft.
Henderson customers: $5/sq ft SNWA base rate, plus a separate $575 additional rebate from the City of Henderson.
North Las Vegas and Boulder City customers: $5/sq ft SNWA base rate only.
On top of the per-square-foot rebate, SNWA pays a $100 bonus for every new tree you plant from their qualifying list, up to 100% canopy coverage of the converted area.
The rebate comes as a physical check mailed to you — generally within 10 business days of SNWA recording your conservation easement with Clark County.
LVVWD customers get the highest rate in the country: $7/sq ft on the first 10,000 sq ft.
The program is open to any residential property served by an SNWA member agency — LVVWD, Henderson Water, North Las Vegas Water, or Boulder City Water. Well owners in the Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Basin also qualify, but rebates are limited to 2,500 sq ft per fiscal year.
You need at least 400 sq ft of living, irrigated grass. SNWA calls this "Functional Turf" — grass that is actively maintained, watered, and alive at the time of the pre-conversion inspection. Dead patches, bare dirt, dormant grass, and areas you've already stopped watering do not count. As of September 18, 2025, the program only pays for Functional Turf conversions.
SNWA may accept smaller projects if less than 400 sq ft of grass exists on the entire property, provided you convert all of it.
What disqualifies you:
Step 1: Apply online. Go to snwa.com/apps/wsl and fill out the application with a description of your project and the areas you want to convert. You do not need a detailed landscape plan at this stage — just a general idea of the conversion area.
Step 2: Pre-conversion site visit. An SNWA staff member visits your property to verify that the grass is alive, measure the proposed conversion area, and confirm eligibility. This typically takes 1–3 weeks from application, but wait times increase in spring and fall when applications surge. Do not remove any grass before this visit.
Step 3: Convert your landscape. You have 12 months from the pre-conversion inspection to complete the project. Most participants finish within 60 days. Requirements: remove the grass, install drip irrigation (with filter, pressure regulator, and emitters rated at 20 GPH or less), plant water-smart species to reach 50% canopy coverage at maturity, and cover all exposed soil with permeable mulch (rock, bark, or ungrouted pavers).
Step 4: Request post-installation inspection. When you're done, notify SNWA. An inspector visits — usually within 10 business days — to verify you met all program conditions. If something doesn't pass, you get 60 days (or the remainder of your 12-month window, whichever is greater) to fix it.
Step 5: Sign the conservation easement. This is unique to SNWA's program. The easement is a legal document recorded with Clark County that prevents you from reinstalling grass, installing a pool, or adding spray irrigation in the converted area — permanently. It runs with the property, meaning future owners are bound by it too. If you sell the property before the easement is recorded, you forfeit the rebate.
Step 6: Get your check. After the easement is recorded, SNWA processes and mails a rebate check, generally within 10 business days of recording.
The entire process — from application to check — typically takes 3–4 months if you move quickly after approval.
This is the part most people don't expect. Unlike other rebate programs that just pay you and move on, SNWA requires a permanent conservation easement on the converted portion of your property.
What the easement restricts — in the converted area only:
What you can still do:
SNWA funds the program through bonds, and the easement is what guarantees the water savings are permanent. They periodically conduct non-intrusive compliance inspections. If a violation is found, they may request voluntary corrective action or pursue legal enforcement.
The easement applies only to the specific areas you converted — not your entire property. If you kept some grass, that grass is not restricted.
The easement is permanent and transfers to future owners. You're trading grass for cash, forever.
SNWA doesn't dictate which specific plants you use — they require that whatever you plant covers at least 50% of the converted area when fully mature. You can use any species, but they encourage drought-tolerant plants from their Regional Plant List (available at snwa.com).
Key details on plant coverage:
Common species that work well: desert marigold, Mojave sage, red yucca, agave, deer grass, desert willow, mesquite, palo verde.
Tree Enhancement Program: Every new tree from SNWA's qualifying tree list earns a $100 bonus, up to 100% canopy coverage. Trees must be new installations — existing trees don't count. The qualifying tree list is a separate document from the general plant list and specifies exact species and minimum container sizes.
Here's a nuance most guides get wrong. SNWA does not completely ban artificial turf — but it does not count as plant coverage either.
SNWA's official position: "We will accept artificial turf as a substitute for mulch (instead of rock or bark). However, it must be permeable (allowing air and water to pass freely) and all other program conditions must be met, including the 50 percent plant coverage requirement."
What this means in practice:
If you want a play area for kids or pets, you could potentially use permeable artificial turf in that section and surround it with living plants — but the math on 50% plant coverage still has to work.
SNWA provides specific guidance because desert grass — especially Bermuda grass — is more deeply rooted than you might expect.
For Bermuda grass (most common in Las Vegas):
1. Keep the grass alive and watered — you need it alive for the inspection anyway 2. Kill it during the warm season when it grows actively (after pre-approval) 3. Apply a nitrogen fertilizer (21-0-0) several weeks before spraying herbicide 4. Don't mow before spraying — you want maximum leaf area to absorb the herbicide 5. Water heavily 3–5 days before application to invigorate the grass 6. Apply herbicide in the morning to reduce wind drift and evaporation 7. Wait 3–5 days, then resume watering to green up survivors 8. Repeat if needed
Physical removal: For small areas, a shovel works. Larger spaces may need a sod cutter (available at equipment rental stores). Take removed grass to a green waste recycling facility if possible.
DIY vs. contractor: You can do the work yourself or hire a contractor. SNWA maintains a list of Water Smart Landscaper program participants — licensed, bonded contractors who have attended SNWA training. But you're not required to use them.
Fiscal year: July 1 – June 30. Your per-property, per-fiscal-year limits reset on July 1.
Pre-approval wait: 1–3 weeks typical, longer during spring and fall peak seasons.
Completion deadline: 12 months from your pre-conversion inspection. Most people finish in 60 days. If your project will run over, contact SNWA — they may grant a 90-day extension at their discretion.
Conservation easement deadline: You must submit the executed conservation easement within 18 months of signing the agreement. Failure to meet this deadline forfeits the rebate.
Post-inspection corrective action: If your post-installation inspection finds issues, you get 60 days or the remainder of your 12-month window (whichever is greater) to fix them.
Best time to apply: January through March. Application volume surges in spring and summer, slowing down wait times. Applying early in the calendar year also positions you well within the fiscal year budget.
Check delivery: Generally within 10 business days of the conservation easement being recorded with Clark County.
LVVWD customers in the City of Las Vegas receive $7/sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft ($5 SNWA base + $2 LVVWD bonus) and $4.50/sq ft above that. Henderson customers get $5/sq ft plus a separate $575 city bonus. North Las Vegas and Boulder City customers get the $5/sq ft SNWA base rate.
It's a physical check mailed to you, generally within 10 business days of SNWA recording the conservation easement with Clark County. It is not a bill credit.
SNWA accepts permeable artificial turf as a substitute for mulch (like rock or bark), but you still need at least 50% living plant coverage at maturity. You cannot convert your entire yard to artificial turf with no plants and receive the rebate.
A permanent legal document recorded with Clark County that prevents you from reinstalling grass, spray irrigation, or a swimming pool in the converted area. It runs with the property — future owners are bound by it too. SNWA requires it because the program is bond-funded.
Yes. The conservation easement transfers automatically to the new owner. You keep the rebate check. However, if you sell before the easement is recorded, you forfeit the rebate.
Nevada state law (NRS 116) prevents HOAs from restricting water-saving landscaping. Your HOA may still have input on the design, but they cannot require you to keep grass. Share the statute with your board if needed.
SNWA says the rebate typically covers about half the cost of a quality conversion, and up to 75% for some customers. Average annual water and maintenance costs drop by more than one-third after conversion, according to SNWA's studies.
It may be. SNWA recommends consulting your tax advisor. Rebates above certain thresholds are reported to the IRS.
Each calculator uses your city's exact rates, including local bonuses.
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