It's one thing for the Water Authority to tell everyone in San Diego County they need to conserve water. It's something else, to "walk the talk."

We realized our headquarters landscape wasn't as attractive as it could be. The maintenance was a significant drain on our facilities staff. More importantly, it was using more water than necessary. The original trees didn't produce the shade that helps eliminate evaporation. And the expanse of sod in the back was clearly a water guzzler.

In an effort to "practice what we preach," The Water Authority’s Board of Directors authorized the retrofit of its Kearny Mesa headquarters’ landscaping to demonstrate and promote its outdoor water conservation message and display what can be accomplished in water efficient landscapes.

The conceptual plans were approved in November 2006 and the retrofit project completed in June 2007 – after 3 months of construction.

The new landscaping incorporates a variety of conservation concepts including:
• artificial turf (click for incentives)
• water-wise plantings (see links to gardening tips)
• shade trees
• high-efficiency irrigation equipment (click for incentives)

The 1 1/2 acre demonstration landscape showcases over 70 different plant specimens including succulents. Here are just a few examples:

The high efficiency irrigation equipment is a combination of MP Rotators – which use 25% less water than traditional spray heads – drip irrigation, and a smart controller.

Some interesting facts about the landscape retrofit project are provided below.

To obtain a plant diagram of the Water Authority’s site, please click on the link below:

To view plant details in PDF for each section (A-F) click on the links below.

Succulent Garden
Right Front Section
Front Center Section
Front Center Section Near Building
Front Left Section
Front Left Section Near Building