With drought and climate change stressing water availability, Metropolitan is taking steps to eliminate an all-too-common sight in Southern California that uses up valuable water resources – ornamental grass that serves no recreational or community purpose – grass known as non-functional turf.

Metropolitan’s Board on Oct. 11 adopted a resolution strongly recommending cities and water agencies across Southern California to pass ordinances permanently prohibiting the installation and irrigation of non-functional turf. The call is largely directed at both existing and new commercial, industrial and public properties, as well as HOAs, rather than residential properties. It does, however, call for local regulations that don’t allow installation of non-functional turf in new home construction. Read the press release.

Thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, several Metropolitan projects critical to ensuring reliable water supplies for Southern California in the face of drought and climate change will receive $130 million in state funding.

Metropolitan’s Pure Water Southern California project – anticipated to be one of the world’s largest water recycling facilities when complete – will receive $80 million from the FY 2022/23 state budget. The funding will help accelerate the project’s design, construction and operations.  

Metropolitan also will receive $50 million for a set of drought emergency mitigation projects to move locally stored water into parts of Southern California that depend on extremely limited supplies from the State Water Project from Northern California. Without access to alternative supplies, these communities have faced significant mandatory conservation measures since June. Read the press release.