A homeowners association (HOA) in Bakersfield, California, has made a significant decision to replace grass lawns with “water-wise” landscaping due to the state’s prolonged drought conditions. Solera Properties, working together with California Water Service, took the lead in this initiative by replacing more than 49,000 square feet of turf with xeriscaping across four of its properties. This innovative approach rewards residents for their water conservation efforts by installing drought-tolerant garden designs. However, some HOAs have shown resistance to this change, favoring traditional turf grass instead.
The implementation of these drought-tolerant changes is anticipated to bring about substantial benefits. It is estimated that the new landscaping will save approximately 1.3 million gallons of water each year. Additionally, as part of a rebate program, the water service company provided a return of about $150,000 to the association for adopting these environmentally friendly alterations. Karyl Ralles, the president of the HOA, expressed satisfaction with the positive outcome and expressed hopes that other communities would follow their example in creating sustainable living environments.
This article is 90% likely factual news based on my current analysis. The original article from The Cooldown provides concrete facts about an innovative approach taken by a specific homeowners association to address ongoing water scarcity issues in their area. While there is a slight 10% opinion element due to the implicit endorsement of sustainable gardening practices and the statements from the HOA president expressing hope for other communities to adopt similar measures, there is no evident political bias. Therefore, the article can be considered neutral and unbiased in terms of political slant.
