Water-Saving Tips for Residents

Small steps. Big savings.

Saving water every day is the Long Beach way. Small water-wise habits make a big difference. There are many diverse ways to save water both indoors and outdoors, whether you live in an apartment, condominium or house.

Programs and Rebates

logo socal watersmart

Residential rebates are available to help residents switch their indoor and outdoor home utility devices to new, water efficient ones. Visit SoCal WaterSmart for a complete list of available rebates, qualifying models, eligibility requirements, and information on the rebate process.
*Note: applicable to customers living in apartments, townhomes, condominiums or mobile home complexes with four or less units that are not represented by a homeowner’s association or property management company. Multi-family complexes with five or more units may qualify for commercial rebates.

Rachio Logo

Rachio and Long Beach Water Department are proud to offer the premium Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller at a discounted price for LBWD residential customers. Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller replaces your existing sprinkler timer for improved watering performance. Easily install in 30 minutes or less with guided instructions in the app, then personalize your watering schedule to balance your landscape’s needs. Monitor and control your sprinkler system from anywhere using your smartphone. Rachio uses exclusive Weather Intelligence™ Plus to automatically adjust schedules to account for rain or wind, preventing water waste! Visit the Rachio Smart Sprinkler website to see if you’re eligible.

filling glass with tap water
native plant parkway logo

Native Plant Parkway Program

The Native Plant Parkway program gives you all of the resources to convert your parkway from turf to a native landscape at no cost! Parkways are the area between the sidewalk and street, and are often the cause of wasteful water runoff. In partnership with the California Native Plant Society, Long Beach Water is offering the Native Plant Parkway program to simplify the turf in your parkway with our environment’s best, natural safeguard against water waste – native plants! These plants are uniquely adapted to thrive in our Long Beach climate, with benefits including support for local birds and insects, water conservation, pollution and runoff reduction, and lower maintenance. Visit the Native Plant Parkway page to apply.

2023CB_FullLogo

Certified Blue Restaurant Program

The Certified Blue Restaurant program recognizes restaurants that have achieved exceptional water efficiency, and already has more than 70 local participating restaurants. These restaurants have voluntarily adopted water-saving devices and appliances to achieve the highest water-efficiency standards and demonstrate to the community how everyone can participate in helping to preserve our precious water resources.

Check out participating restaurants.

Restaurant owners: find out how you can become Certified Blue.

Direct Install Gardens

Direct Install Gardens Program

Our Direct Install Gardens program provides a water-wise landscape conversion free of charge to residents with low-income living in historically underserved neighborhoods that have been impacted by environmental pollution. Community investment and capacity building are the core focuses of the DIG program. Applications currently on hold.

L2GLogo_FullColor (1)

Lawn-to-Garden Program

The Lawn-To-Garden program (L2G) is LBW’s flagship, wildly-popular water use-efficiency program. Launched in 2010, the L2G program was created with the goal of making the landscapes of Long Beach water efficient and sustainable by providing multiple benefits for the environment such as capturing stormwater, reducing runoff and developing habitat for birds and butterflies. To date, more than 3.6 million square feet of water-guzzling turf have been replaced with beautiful, water-wise landscapes. Visit the Lawn-to-Garden page to transform your water-thirsty lawn into a beautiful, drought-resistant garden today!

Direct Install for Multi-Family Efficiency logo

Direct Installation for Multi-Family Efficiency Program

The Direct Installation for Multi-Family Efficiency (DIME) program aims to assist residents that live in multi-family buildings to become more water and energy efficient in their everyday lives. The DIME program retrofits both kitchen and bathroom aerators, toilets, shower heads and coin operated washing machines at zero cost to residents! Changing out these devices effectively reduces water and energy usage, which benefits our customers and the environment. Visit the DIME program page to apply.

Outdoors

icon: turf

Turf Replacement

If you are a residential customer looking to remove your turf grass, contact LawnToGarden@liveh2olb.com. The Lawn-to-Garden program provides an incentive of $3.00 per square foot for front yards and $2.00 per square foot for backyards, up to 5,000 square feet. For more information about the Lawn-to-Garden incentive and to apply, please visit www.lblawntogarden.com.

water conserving landscaping photo
icon pool

Pool and Spa

  • Use a pool cover to significantly reduce water lost to evaporation. Pool covers also reduce the need for chemicals and reduce energy costs for heated pools
  • Shut off all water features including waterfalls and fountains to reduce water loss and evaporation
  • Check the pool periodically for leaks
  • Use a cartridge pool filter which does not require backwashing
  • Incorporate a pre-filter into your system which can reduce the water needed to clean sand and cartridge filters
  • Keep pools and pool filters clean to minimize the frequency of filter backwashing
  • If possible, utilize filter backwash water on lawns or shrubs (if chlorine levels are acceptable at less than 3 mg/L)
  • Check automatic timers to adjust the frequency and duration
  • Lower pool temperatures to reduce the water lost to evaporation and save energy
  • Plug the overflow line when pool is in use
icon irrigation

Irrigation and Landscaping

  • Turn sprinklers off before, during and after rainstorms
  • Fix broken or misaligned sprinklers
  • Put mulch under shrubs and trees
  • Water at dawn or dusk
  • Install a soil moisture sensor system
  • Stick to the watering schedule
  • Switch traditional sprinklers to high efficiency rotary sprinklers
  • Install a weather-based irrigation controller
icon broom

Cleaning and Maintenance

  • Use a broom to clean driveways and patios instead of a hose
  • Use a shut-off nozzle on the hose when washing your car. Better yet, take your car to a carwash, which often uses less water than you would at home. Many also use recycled water. LBG Express Car Wash recycles over 90% of water used. This allows them to use about 14 gallons of fresh water per car, which is less than most washing machines.

Indoors

icon bowls

In the Kitchen

  • Run the dishwasher only when full
  • Fix leaky faucets
  • Instead of using water to thaw frozen foods, use the fridge to defrost overnight
  • Reuse water, such as from rinsing produce or boiling pasta (let it cool first!) to water the garden
icon laundry

In the Laundry Room

  • Wash only full laundry loads
  • Change to a high efficiency clothes washer
icon shower

In the Bathroom

  • When lathering don’t run the water
  • Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth
  • Fill the bathtub halfway or less
  • Take a one-song-shower
  • Shave with the water off
  • Flush wisely
  • Install a low-flow showerhead
  • Change to a high efficiency toilet using available rebates
Jessica Pineda, True Community Association Management

“In collaboration with the City of Long Beach we completed the D.I.M.E project at two properties in Long Beach, CA. It is always our pleasure to provide our owners with the opportunity to not only increase the value of their home but also have them financially benefit whenever we can. We can confidently say we are doing our part to conserve water during these difficult times.”
— Jessica Pineda, True Community Association Management

Lawn-to-Garden program

“I am so pleased with the entire experience. The process from the application to completion of the project was so smooth. I am proud of my new drought tolerant lawn and love to see people stop and admire it.”
— Jacqueline Burke, DIG program participant

Lawn-to-Garden program

“Saving water was the reason we chose to convert our lawn to a garden, but the pleasures of this beautiful space are the best reward. The smell of the various native sages makes walkers smile and slow down. The bursts of spring colors fill my eyes. And the butterflies, bees, hummers and other birds bring nature to my kitchen window. It’s worth the work.”
— Ann Courtney, Lawn-to-Garden program participant