The Innovative Conservation Program supports the next generation of water-saving devices, technologies and strategies
Six innovative strategies that could help Southern California curb water waste and permanently lower its water use will receive funding from the Metropolitan Water District this year through its Innovative Conservation Program, the agency announced today.
The grant recipients selected through the program include a variety of water-use efficiency projects, from using artificial intelligence to track irrigation use to studying the most environmentally beneficial mulches. Metropolitan is focusing its funding this year on projects that save water in the non-residential sector in response to new state regulations banning the use of potable water to irrigate unused grass at commercial, industrial and institutional properties starting in 2027. Through the program, the projects will receive grants of up to $50,000 to evaluate their water-savings potential.
“More than half of the water we use in Southern California goes to our yards and landscapes — so finding smarter ways to use it really matters," said Metropolitan General Manager Deven Upadhyay. "Thanks to innovation and smart investments, Southern Californians have already cut their water use significantly since the 1990s. We're proud to support the people and organizations creating the next wave of water-saving solutions that will help us go even further”
Sponsored in part by the Southern California Gas Company, the ICP was launched in 2001 and has since funded more than 75 research projects. Some of the technologies funded through the program proved to be so successful that they are now eligible for water-efficiency rebates and incentives from Metropolitan.
This year’s awardees were chosen through a competitive process based on project innovation, research plan, market impact potential and project preparedness.
The 2025 Innovative Conservation Program awardees
Polyculture Landscapes as an Alternative to Turf Removal: As a potential alternative to removing water-thirsty grass, Flower to the People is testing a strategy called “Take Back the Turf,” which overseeds grass with a multi-species and flower-filled seed mix to convert it into a perennial groundcover. The project is designed to verify the water savings, environmental benefits and community acceptance of polyculture landscapes.
Engaging Hotel Chains in Grass Removal: The Pacific Institute will develop strategies to encourage national hotel chains to proactively transition their California properties to more sustainable landscapes ahead of the state law prohibiting the use of potable water to irrigate unused grass at commercial properties. The project will test best practices for engaging the hospitality industry on nonfunctional turf removal, which could serve as a model for working with other sectors.
Using AI to Measure Outdoor Irrigation: New state water conservation regulations require water suppliers to measure and track outdoor water use at commercial, industrial and institutional properties. But some properties don’t have meters that differentiate between indoor and outdoor water use, and installing new meters can be expensive. The California Data Collaborative demonstration will use machine learning to analyze water use patterns in existing meter data with the goal of giving agencies a methodology to measure outdoor water use.
Uncovering the Link Between Leaks and Water Affordability: The Alliance for Water Efficiency will look at how often leaks and inefficient appliances lead customers to seek assistance paying their water bills. The goal is to provide data for the development of programs, such as leak detection and efficiency retrofits, to reduce water bills before they become unaffordable.
Soil Regeneration for More Avocados and Less Water: Performance Resource Management will test whether biology-based soil regeneration and precision soil monitoring technologies can reduce irrigation demand, restore soil health and improve crop yields for avocado growers in Southern California.
Evaluating Mulch Performance: Mulching is commonly recognized as a water-saving strategy, but there is little research into how different types of mulch, from wood chips and gravel to newer plastic and rubber mulch, perform in urban landscapes. UC Riverside will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of organic and inorganic mulch materials, including analyzing how various mulches affect surface temperature, soil moisture retention and rainfall infiltration.
More information on the ICP program and recently funded projects is available at https://www.mwdh2o.com/icp.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
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