Local Communities Push For Grass Alternatives In Water Conservation

If you hail from other parts of the world outside of West Texas, you may not notice the abundance of grass on residential properties.  It is an oversight that people often overlook.  However, in West Texas, it is not as prevalent.  In fact, some West Texas cities are incentivizing home and property owners to remove their grass to conserve water.

READ MORE: Strange Laws That Still Exist in Midland-Odessa

Get our free mobile app

Usually, cities in West Texas are strongly advocating water conservation during the Summer months; however, in 2025, vast amounts of rainfall have slowed such efforts.  It is still an ongoing campaign, despite having a relatively wet Summer.

Real Grass Versus Alternatives

Natural grass can consume somewhere between  60 to 70 inches of water annually, which can easily put a strain on local water supplies.  Replacing the natural grass with alternatives can ease the collective water system, thus providing some relief on water bills.

Replacing Grass With Cold Hard Cash

Some cities in Texas are incentivizing the general populace by suggesting residents and property owners remove their grass and replace it with alternatives like artificial turf, rocks, or other types of landscaping that are drought-friendly.  In El Paso, one Reddit user claims that the city will even assist with the cost of removing the grass as an additional incentive. Residents in Austin can get up to $3,000 in rebates depending on how much grass is converted. In Kyle, Texas, the city offers $1 per square foot up to $250. These are only a small portion of similar programs that are in place around Texas.

Incentives For Midland-Odessa?

Currently, Midland and Odessa do not have a campaign like that in other parts of West Texas.  However, this would likely influence many of the residents to go through the process if it were offered.  With somewhat similar situations as Lubbock and El Paso, it is unclear as to why the city has not initiated such a program.