Bend offers $3-per-square-foot turf‑replacement rebate; applications open April 1

At a City of Bend workshop, city utilities staff outlined the 2025 turf‑replacement rebate program, telling homeowners the rebate will pay $3 per square foot for up to 1,000 square feet (maximum $3,000). Caitlin, a utility compliance technician for the City of Bend, said applications open April 1, projects must be completed by Oct. 31 and that applicants must wait for a pre‑consultation approval before beginning turf removal: “please do not start the turf removal process until we get that first pre evaluation,” she said.

The rebate is part of Bend’s broader water‑conservation strategy. Staff emphasized outdoor irrigation drives peak summer demand — the city estimates about 60% of annual water production is used outdoors — and that reducing turf is a major opportunity to cut use. “We like to see conservation as a third source of water,” Caitlin told attendees, describing conservation alongside the city’s surface‑ and groundwater supplies.

The workshop summarized three required elements for a qualifying conversion: switch the existing irrigation in the rebate area to a high‑efficiency system (eligible options include inline drip, point‑source drip, or specified high‑efficiency spray nozzles on areas wider than 8 feet); replace turf with low‑water‑use plantings that will achieve roughly 50% mature canopy coverage; and cover the finished area with at least 3 inches of mulch (organic or rock). Staff said seedings are not eligible; plant starts (plugs, gallon or smaller pots with above‑ground growth) are required.

Eligibility and process

City of Bend water customers only are eligible; an estimated 20,000 people in the broader urban area…