One look at his front and back yard and you can tell, Jorge Azevedo has pride in saving water. A landlord of five properties, most of which have been converted to river-friendly landscaping, Azevedo walks us around, showing off his micro-sprays, drip sprinklers, and layers upon layers of mulch. He estimates all of his H2O-efficient features and plants use at least half as much water as they used to, even with adding a vegetable garden, complete with squash, watermelon, tomatoes and grapes.
A true oasis, but one that uses even less water, Azevedo has managed to make his landscape look great, all while drastically cutting his water use.
Though the initial investment was hefty, Jorge and his wife, Myra, know it was worth it. Jorge started to make the transition to turf-free about three years ago. The change consisted of taking out grass and putting in drought tolerant landscaping which included mulch, rock, bark, and drip irrigation, rather than water-thirsty grass.
Jorge also is part of the of the City’s River-Friendly Landscape program where he received a rebate from the City for removing his front yard turf and replacing it with native and drought tolerant plants.
He is extremely proactive in doing his part for this historic drought, not only for his own home, but for the other properties he owns, which is among the reasons Jorge earns the title of Drought Champ!
We know there are other Drought Champs out there! If you’d like to be highlighted in our Drought Champ campaign, please let us know. Send us an email at PIO@cityofsacramento.org with your name, address, email, phone number, and how you have save water; or send us a tweet with #DroughtChamp and let us know what you are doing to save those precious drops.
