From blah to beautiful
Couple’s landscape transformation turns humdrum lawn into an enticing oasis
After more than 35 years of parenting and grandparenting, the Hays’ home was best described as well-loved.
A wooden deck was rotting away. The lawn sat unused and uninviting, and a sitting wall — once a makeshift platform for the kids to parade on — created an impenetrable blockade that obstructed both function and design.
So, committed to making the most of their home in the years ahead, the Tustin couple made plans for a landscape renovation: reinventing their yard to create beautiful, livable spaces that make lounging out back their favorite place to be.
They were familiar with IRWD incentives to saving water, and applied for a turf rebate to get started.
Prequalification is important for turf removal, because it allows Irvine Ranch Water District to quantify the amount of lawn removed as a part of the project. (At $5 per square foot, this can lead to considerable savings.)
“The online application makes it really easy,” Linda Hay said. “You can track the progress of your application, and IRWD does a great job of keeping you in the loop and helping you along with way.”
The Hays worked with IRWD Water Efficiency Specialist Jake Loukeh, who made sure the application was on track and provided helpful resources as needed.
“We know the process can seem daunting at first, but we’re here to help people through it,” Loukeh said. “That includes a variety of planning resources for do-it-yourselfers.”
The Hays hired Linda’s rowing teammate, Amy Lawrence, to lay out the landscape design, hire contractors for the work and sum up all materials in one convenient invoice they could submit to cash in on rebates — about $4,000 worth, according to their estimates.
They used California native plants as the focal point of their new landscape: An elegant green-trunked palo verde tree produces a splash of showy yellow blossoms in spring. Several species of succulents provide subtle hints of blended hues and texture to the landscape, and flowering shrubs add a dimension of height with brilliant pops of color throughout the year. A row of vegetable beds, complete with rebate-approved water-efficient drip irrigation, provides healthy, hearty herbs and vegetables throughout the year.
Hardscape features include a recirculating rock fountain that brings harmony to the landscape —doubling as a water source for birds and pollinators — and a fire pit to warm evening conversations with friends and family. Material from the demolition of the original patio slab and walkways was repurposed to fill permeable paths throughout the garden.
In the end, the new landscaping has reduced the couple’s water consumption and their monthly water bill.
“Best of all,” Scott Hay said, “our family and friends like to come over more often to enjoy our beautiful backyard.”
For more information on IRWD’s turf rebate program, visit IRWD.com/turfrebate. Visit IRWD.com/rebates for details on other water-saving incentives.
Smiling faces at IRWD community event
Local families joined in on the water-education fun on Saturday, Oct. 7, at IRWD's H2O Show 'n' Tell.
The event, held in conjunction with Water Professionals Appreciation Week, was free for members of the community. About 400 guests enjoyed eating pancakes, climbing on IRWD trucks, and learning all about what we do at Irvine Ranch Water District.
Thank you to those customers who attended the event and helped IRWD celebrate its employees and the hard work they do every day.
New awards page showcases IRWD’s customer-driven achievements
Irvine Ranch Water District is recognized as a national leader in the water industry — receiving awards from industry peers on everything from water stewardship and reliability to customer service, safety, and financial reporting.
Doing our best for our customers drives the character, culture and capacity of IRWD, and we are honored to be acknowledged for that.
Go to IRWD.com/awards to browse and learn more about the awards we’ve received since 2000, organized by year or category.
What to do if you spot a leak in your neighborhood
Have you ever noticed a broken sprinkler or leak while out walking or driving in your neighborhood? With Log-a-Leak, you can help us help your neighbors save water.
IRWD’s new online tool makes it easy for people to help identify problems. Log-a-Leak pinpoints the location using GPS from your phone. Once you hit send, IRWD will contact the responsible person to get the problem fixed.
With more eyes out in the community, we can help more customers – including HOAs and businesses, where management might not be aware water is being wasted.
Just go to IRWD.com/logaleak and pin the location. We’ll take care of the rest.
Note: If there is a leak on your own property, no need to fill out this form. Once your leak has been repaired, see if you quality for a leak adjustment on your water bill by calling 949-453-5300 or email CustomerService@IRWD.com.
If this is a leak on IRWD equipment, or an urgent matter, please call us at 949-453-5300 so we can respond immediately.
Your IRWD drinking water is safe from PFAS
The drinking water Irvine Ranch Water District provides to its customers is safe — meeting all quality standards set by the state and federal government. That means none of the water Irvine Ranch Water District delivers to homes, businesses and schools contains any detectable PFAS.
PFAS is a group of synthetic compounds that have been used since the 1940s in hundreds of products, including nonstick cookware, food packaging, firefighting foam, and water- and stain-resistant fabrics. Growing awareness about these nondegradable “forever chemicals,” perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), has prompted new and ongoing studies, findings, and news reports about public exposure.
In 2018 and 2020, when PFAS was discovered in some Orange County drinking water wells, several water districts, including Irvine Ranch Water District, either shut those wells down, or added effective treatment that reduces the PFAS to nondetectable levels before the water is distributed to customers.
“As a water agency, we understand people’s concerns about chemicals in our environment and their potential to contaminate water,” said General Manager Paul Cook. “That’s why IRWD regularly tests for PFAS and, when needed, installs the necessary infrastructure to remove PFAS from the water. This way, we can continue to assure our customers that the drinking water that we provide to them is safe.”
For more information, visit IRWD.com/pfas.
