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additional twenty-five cents ($0.25) per square foot of lawn removed, up to 50 percent of cost to a maximum of $250 for residential customers (non-dedicated irrigation metered accounts), and an additional fifty-cents ($0.50) up to $3,000 (up to 50 percent of material costs). Used together, the Zone WEL Rebate and the City WEL Rebate raises the maximum potential rebate offered to Pleasanton water customers to $1,000 for residential (non-irrigation metered customers), and $7,500 for irrigation metered customers. To staff's knowledge, neither the City of Livermore nor DSRSD currently offer an additional WEL rebate above the Zone 7 WEL Rebate. Participation in the Zone 7 and City WEL Rebates has ranged from 5-12 applications during non-drought years and 26-71 applications in drought years. The range discrepancy demonstrates the influence a drought has as a motivator for lawn conversion projects. The City has reviewed how to encourage more participants to undergo a lawn conversion project by reviewing national trends. A large survey was conducted by the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) which is a nation-wide stakeholder-based nonprofit organization in drought prone areas of the United States. AWE found that the main challenges of gaining participation in lawn conversion programs include all of the following: • Property owner's personal definition of a beautiful landscape appearance • Concern over cost of a lawn conversion project • Lack of knowledge regarding landscaping/irrigation • Perception of lawn maintenance being easier than that of lawn converted landscapes • Indifference to the incentive offered. The City's Water Conservation Program offers a great deal of customer education and guidance through the lawn conversion process to help address some of the challenges outlined above. Other educational resources are jointly developed with Zone 7 and the Retailers to reduce some barriers, including the Tri-Valley Water Wise interactive website and awareness materials. The Water Wise website allows the public to view completed landscape projects, approved plants, and create selected plant lists with the plant information they need to complete the application process. In June 2021, in response to the current water shortage, Zone 7 approved an increase to the Zone 7 WEL Rebate to a maximum of$2,000 for single-family customers, and $6,000 maximum to CII and multi-family customers. Since the announcement, the City has seen a considerable increase in participation in the combined WEL Rebates (specifically twenty-eight completed and active rebates by mid-January 2022). Table 1 summarizes the current combined WEL rebates offered to Pleasanton water customers. Table 1. WEL Rebate Maximum Values Currentl Available to Pleasanton Customers Program Current Rate Zone 7 WEL Rebate Single-family residential customers up to 50 percent of cost, up to $2,000; CH and multi-family residence up to 50 percent of cost, up to $6,000 City WEL Rebate Residential customers (non-dedicated irrigation metered customers) $0.25 per square foot up to 50 percent of cost, up Page 3 of 6