Water rates in California are increasing. As a result, water is quickly becoming a significant budgetary burden for school districts. New regulations and evolving rate structures mean small decisions can have a noticeable impact on your bill.

Here are a few things worth paying attention to right now:

AB 1572 and Nonfunctional Turf

California’s AB 1572 will prohibit the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf at schools starting January 1, 2028. While the law does not mandate turf removal, choosing to remove or replace it may be the most practical and cost-effective path to compliance. The good news is that many water agencies are offering rebates and incentives to help offset those projects.

Smarter Water Usage = Immediate Savings Opportunities

Many California utilities use tiered or usage-based pricing, meaning small changes in usage can have significant cost impacts. We’re seeing districts adopt smart water metering to:

• Track usage in near real-time
• Avoid crossing into higher pricing tiers late in billing cycles
• Identify leaks or abnormal usage patterns early

In some cases, simply pausing irrigation for a few days can prevent a spike into higher rates. But without visibility, those opportunities are easy to miss.

Separating Irrigation from Campus Water Use

Another trend we are seeing is districts exploring separate meters for irrigation. This creates a clearer picture of where water is being used and opens the door for more targeted decisions. In some cases, it can also lead to more favorable rate treatment.

The Solution: Active Monitoring and Management

All of this points to the same challenge: visibility.

Districts need a simple way to track water usage, understand how it impacts cost, and respond before the bill arrives. Our Utility Manager platform brings all of this together, giving districts the visibility and insights needed to monitor usage, manage costs, and make smarter decisions in real time.

In addition to our partnerships with school districts, TerraVerde also works directly with water agencies across California, which gives us perspective on how these policies and rate structures are evolving and how districts can respond. That vantage point gives us a unique ability to help districts not only respond to policy changes but proactively reduce utility costs.

Do you know how water costs are impacting your district?

As Energy Program Managers for K-12 School Districts and Community Colleges in California, we can help collect and monitor your utility data, which will inform meaningful actions that can reduce utility usage and cost.

Schedule your Utility Manager demo here.