Alliance subscriber tool · household economics
Your Yard Savings Calculator
Estimate what replacing irrigated turf with established native wildflowers or other water-wise landscaping could mean for monthly summer bills, annual cash savings, water use, power/fuel, lawn inputs and time.
Estimated savings after establishment
1 · Select your conversion
How much irrigated turf would you replace?
The calculator defaults to a six-month watering season. You can change the assumptions below.
Private-well pumping energy requires your pump input below.
Assumptions — visible and editable
1.0–1.5 in./week
Planning benchmark used to estimate gallons.
Optional. Enter what you actually spend for a cash-based result.
Time is kept separate from cash unless you choose a value.
2 · Monthly in-season savings
Estimate for 1,000 sq. ft.
Alliance municipal water · 6-month season · 90% irrigation reduction
Water saved
2,428–3,642gallons / active monthWater bill saved
$5.05–$13.18/ active monthMowing power saved
2.0 kWh/ active monthPower bill saved
$0.23/ active monthFertilizer + pesticide + routine inputs
$0.00/ active month · enter yours aboveTime returned to you
1.33 hr/ active month| Conversion area | Water saved / month | Water bill / month | Electric mowing / month* | Annual core utility savings* |
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*Comparison table uses municipal water, electric mower defaults, six months, and the current irrigation-reduction setting. Optional fertilizer/pesticide spending is not included.
Estimated monthly cash savings
$5.28–$13.41water + power/fuel + your entered lawn inputsEstimated annual cash savings
$32–$806 active monthsTime returned to you
8.0 hours / seasonTime value is not included in cash savings unless you enter an hourly value.
The water figure is a planning estimate. Actual-bill mode is stronger when you know your winter and summer water-only charges.
3 · Methodology
What the calculator is doing
- Water volume: 1 inch across 1,000 sq. ft. ≈ 623 gallons. Monthly planning volume uses 4.33 weeks/month and a 1.0–1.5 in./week summer benchmark, then applies your chosen irrigation-reduction percentage.
- Alliance water charges: urban residential usage rates are $1.557, $1.759, $2.165 and $2.706 per 100 cubic feet. One hundred cubic feet is 748 gallons. The fixed meter service charge is not treated as avoidable.
- Alliance residential electricity: the current City rate sheet lists $0.1159/kWh for the first 600 kWh and for summer excess kWh. The standard electric-mower estimate uses the mower kW, mowing time and mowings/month that you can edit above.
- Actual Bill mode: seasonal water signal = max(0, summer water-only bill − winter water-only bill). Estimated water-bill savings = seasonal signal × converted-lawn share × irrigation-reduction percentage. This is a household estimate, not a guarantee that every summer/winter difference is caused by lawn irrigation.
- Annual values: monthly in-season cash savings × the number of active watering/maintenance months you choose. Default = 6 months.
- Time: shown separately from cash. If you enter a dollar value for your time, the calculator reports that optional value separately rather than hiding it inside bill savings.
City of Alliance — Water Billing ↗City of Alliance — Electric, Water & Sewer Rate Sheet ↗City of Alliance — Electric Department ↗
Planning tool for subscriber education. Weather, soil, sprinkler efficiency, household occupancy, meter block, native-plant establishment, mowing habits and equipment can materially change results.