Grant Application Template · SAWS LID / WaterSaver
Three-Property Residential LID Demonstration — San Antonio Hill Country Corridor.
Application to San Antonio Water System (SAWS) WaterSaver Landscape Coupon program and Low-Impact Development (LID) grant pipeline. Submitted by Noon Systems Corporation, a Texas Public Benefit Corporation, proposing a three-property residential demonstration package combining bioswale, native-palette planting, and rainwater catchment retrofit.
Applicant
Noon Systems Corporation — Texas Public Benefit Corporation (Texas Business Organizations Code Ch. 21, Subchapter S). Founded 2025. HQ at 4040 Broadway STE 525, San Antonio, TX 78209. Contact: Dorian Walker, Founder — design@noon.bio.
Public-benefit purpose: build, operate, and document ecological infrastructure that demonstrably improves water, soil, and habitat outcomes on the properties and communities served. Each install is grounded in a published methodology entry on The Noon Source library (noon.bio/source), making the work auditable and reproducible.
Project Summary
This proposal funds the design, install, monitoring, and public documentation of three residential Low-Impact Development retrofits in the San Antonio metro service area. Each property combines four interventions:
Turf removal & native palette install — minimum 600 sq ft of St. Augustine / Bermudagrass replaced with Hill Country / Edwards Plateau native species (muhly grass, lindheimer muhly, Mexican feathergrass, blackfoot daisy, mountain laurel, prickly pear).
Dry-creek bioswale — engineered drainage channel with limestone armor and filter planting, sized to retain and infiltrate roof + driveway runoff before it reaches the storm drain.
Rainwater catchment — gutter, first-flush diverter, and above-ground cistern (2,500–5,000 gal per site) tied into the new native bed via drip irrigation.
Public documentation — each install becomes a sourced methodology entry on The Noon Source library, with before/after measurements, planting list, install photos, and cost breakdown. Free-to-read, attribution-only license.
The package is designed as a SAWS rebate-stackable demonstration: every intervention qualifies for an existing SAWS rebate program (WaterSaver Landscape Coupon, rainwater rebate, irrigation conversion). The grant funds the gap between rebate and full install cost on the demonstration properties, in exchange for public documentation that makes the methodology reproducible by other SAWS customers.
Alignment with SAWS Conservation Priorities
Per-capita water-use reduction — installed sites reduce outdoor irrigation demand by ~70% vs. comparable turf landscapes. Across three sites, baseline annual reduction ~35,000–55,000 gal.
Drought-stage resilience — cistern storage allows continued irrigation under Stage 2+ restrictions without violating ordinance.
Stormwater volume reduction — bioswale + catchment retain ~20,000 gal per peak storm event per site, reducing burden on city stormwater infrastructure.
Edwards Aquifer recharge — infiltrated water enters the recharge zone at the property scale, supporting SAWS' long-term supply mandate.
Replicable methodology — documentation on The Noon Source library is free, sourced, and structured for other SAWS customers to follow.
Budget Summary
Total project budget: $[NEGOTIATE] across three sites + documentation. Per-site cost range: $12K–$28K depending on site complexity and existing irrigation infrastructure. SAWS rebates (estimated $4–8K per site) applied directly against install cost; grant funds the remainder. Detailed line-item budget available on request as part of full proposal submission.
Major categories: site read & design (~10%) · turf removal & soil prep (~15%) · bioswale construction with limestone & engineered media (~25%) · native plant material & install (~15%) · rainwater catchment hardware & install (~25%) · drip irrigation conversion (~5%) · monitoring & documentation (~5%).
Deliverables & Timeline
Month 1–2 · Site selection and property-owner agreements signed. Three properties confirmed; baseline irrigation use and storm-runoff measurements logged.
Month 3–4 · Design phase per Noon's five-reading methodology. Final plans approved by property owners.
Month 5–8 · Installations executed in sequence — bioswale, catchment, planting, irrigation conversion. Each site documented with photo + measurement record at install.
Month 9–12 · Operating measurement period. Each site monitored for irrigation reduction, storm retention, and planting establishment. Source library entries published with site data (anonymized for residential privacy).
Final deliverable · Three operating installs · three published Source library entries · final report to SAWS with measured water savings, install cost, payback math, and reproducibility recommendations.
Why Noon
Noon Systems Corporation is a Texas Public Benefit Corporation whose entire operating model is structured around the kind of work this grant funds. Existing installations include three residential dry-creek bioswales in Alamo Heights (~20,000 gal absorbed per storm event, operating) and a partnership with the San Antonio Housing Authority on Towne Twin Village (aqueduct + native canopy + PV, operating).
The Noon Source library — 26 entries, ~36,000 words, sourced against published authorities (NRCS, USGS, TWDB, SAWS, EAA, Texas A&M AgriLife, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) — already establishes the public-documentation discipline this grant explicitly funds. Each install under this proposal extends that record.
The PBC structure provides what SAWS' mission requires: a legally-bound commitment to public-benefit outcomes alongside operational sustainability. The grant doesn't fund a for-profit shop's customer acquisition; it funds a structured demonstration whose published methodology any other San Antonio resident can use.
Respectfully submitted,
Dorian Walker
Founder · Noon Systems Corporation (PBC) design@noon.bio · noon.bio/partners
Notes before sending: SAWS doesn't publish a single open-RFP "LID grant" — funding comes through (1) the WaterSaver Landscape Coupon program (per-property), (2) ad-hoc demonstration partnerships managed by SAWS Conservation Programs, and (3) joint applications with San Antonio River Authority for LID demonstration. The right next move is a pre-application discovery meeting with SAWS Conservation (Karen Guz, Director — or current incumbent). This document is the framing memo to bring to that meeting, not a cold submission. Adapt timeline, dollar amounts, and contacts before sending.
Noon Partners · Grant application templateLast updated 2026-06-01