July 2026 Greenovation Award Winners

Congratulations to Mia and Farooq Gaba for receiving the July 2026 Greenovation Award! 

A smiling couple stands at the door holding a wrapped gift, possibly a water-saving device, with a welcoming home interior visible.

The LVMWD Greenovation Award recognizes outstanding customers who replaced their water-guzzling turf with beautiful, water-conscious landscapes through our Landscape Transformation Program. Winners are chosen based on 4 main criteria: aesthetics, functionality, biodiversity, and water budget impact. 

Mia began exploring lawn transformation after growing sick and tired of overwatering and wasting water in her backyard. After meticulous investigation on the perfect size, color, and shape of plants for her yard, the Gabas hired a contractor to make her dreams come true. Mia also researched plenty of native plants and wishes she used LVMWD's Sustainability Garden as a great resource in this journey.  

A lush garden filled with vibrant flowers, a stone table, and trees, set against a scenic backdrop of mountains and sky.
A beautiful garden with vibrant red flowers in front of a stylish house under a partly cloudy sky.
A beautifully landscaped garden with colorful flowers, an arch entrance, a pool, and decorative lighting in the background.
A serene backyard setting featuring a swimming pool, hot tub, and colorful flower pots with lush greenery in the background.
A vibrant patch of orange flowers amidst lush green leaves, set against a cloudy sky.
A cluster of delicate blue and white flowers along with some green leaves, set against a blurred background.
A garden scene featuring vibrant pink flowers amidst green foliage and gravel pathways. Nature’s colorful beauty!
A lush garden filled with vibrant flowers, a stone table, and trees, set against a scenic backdrop of mountains and sky.
A beautiful garden with vibrant red flowers in front of a stylish house under a partly cloudy sky.
A beautifully landscaped garden with colorful flowers, an arch entrance, a pool, and decorative lighting in the background.
A serene backyard setting featuring a swimming pool, hot tub, and colorful flower pots with lush greenery in the background.
A vibrant patch of orange flowers amidst lush green leaves, set against a cloudy sky.
A cluster of delicate blue and white flowers along with some green leaves, set against a blurred background.
A garden scene featuring vibrant pink flowers amidst green foliage and gravel pathways. Nature’s colorful beauty!

Now, with their transformed biodiverse backyard, the Gabas are saving a significant amount of water compared to when they had turfgrass. Mia utilizes a variety of different water-saving techniques with her new yard including drip irrigation, gravel mulch, and efficient watering strategies. For example, since her sprinklers were often spraying windows or areas with no grass, she installed drip irrigation to keep her plants healthy yet avoid wasting water. To prevent overwatering, Mia explained that she irrigates more in the beginning to establish the plants, then reduces irrigation once established to keep plants healthy. She also emphasizes the importance of gravel mulch to help keep water usage low, as it allows for better drainage and less evaporation, improving water retention and uptake for plants.  

A garden scene featuring a stone fountain surrounded by vibrant pink flowers and lush greenery.

Mia and Farooq find joy in different aspects of their newly water-efficient yard. Mia loves the lush feeling of her native garden, which appears greener than before and attracts a variety of beautiful birds. She also loves the vibrant purple sage and their newly installed fountain. Farooq's favorite is the new vegetable and herb garden, which he often goes for meal ingredients or to harvest and share with neighbors. Both Mia and Farooq especially love their new fruit trees, which include pomegranates, oranges, lemons, pears, and apples.  

Mia and Farooq's lush and vibrant yard was completed with the help of the LVMWD x Socal WaterSmart Turf Rebate Program. If you are interested in transforming your water-guzzling lawn with a beautiful, water-conscious, and native landscape, read about our Landscape Transformation Program or visit YourSmartYard to get a discounted yard design.  

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