California is in a Drought, Switch your Lawn to Artificial Turf to Save Water and Money

Electronic message signs on highways statewide. (Photo courtesy of Save Our Water)

California has entered another drought and the government is putting strict rules on when and how you can water your lawn or yard. Los Angeles has begun enforcing a two-day-a-week limit for watering your yard, and other counties have an even more strict one-day-a-week policy. If only there was a way to have a beautiful green lawn without using water…

There is! Artificial turf has the exact same look and feel as real grass while requiring much less maintenance and no water.

Environmental Impacts

On average, artificial turf saves a homeowner 99,000 gallons of water a year and comes with the added benefit of being in perfect condition year-round. Each full-sized turf field saves 500,000 to 1,000,000 gallons of water each year, saving six billion or more gallons of water since 2010. Synthetic turf also eliminates the need for pesticides and fertilizers, eradicating millions of pounds of these materials runoff. 

Economic Impact

Saving water is great for the environment and necessary for California, but it also benefits homeowners on a personal level by lowering their monthly costs. San Francisco falls into one of the most expensive cities for lawn irrigation in the United States, and the price of water is only going to go higher as the drought continues. While turf has a higher upfront cost when compared to sod, it will become cost-effective in the long run.

Maintenance costs

Maintenance costs are next to zero with turf, since it isn’t a living organism you don’t have to worry about it dying. Once the turf is installed, all that is necessary for the homeowner to do is blow off debris that lands on their turf and rarely hose it off if they choose to do so. Besides that, the color and feel will remain the same for decades to come. 

Make the Switch to Turf

California needs to save water where it can, and Californians need to save money where they can and turf is a helpful solution to both of those issues. The drawback is the higher upfront cost than sod, meaning it can be tough for those on a tight budget who want a lawn, but it will only take a few years for turf to become much more cost-effective than real grass. Call Empire Pavers today for a free quote to install artificial turf today!

Work’s Cited

Service, City News. “LA’s 2-Day/Week Outdoor Watering Restrictions: Here’s How They Will Impact You.” Daily News. Daily News, June 3, 2022. https://www.dailynews.com/2022/06/01/las-2-day-week-outdoor-watering-restrictions-begin-today/#:~:text=PUBLISHED%3A%20June%201%2C%202022%20at,2022%20at%204%3A01%20p.m.&text=LOS%20ANGELES%20%E2%80%94%20People%20in%20Los,water%20amid%20a%20historic%20drought. 

“Synthetic Turf Conserves More than Three Billion Gallons of Water and …” Accessed July 1, 2022. https://www.syntheticturfcouncil.org/news/123873/Synthetic-Turf-Conserves-More-Than-Three-Billion-Gallons-of-Water-and-Helps-the-Environment.htm. 

“2022’s Most Expensive Cities for Lawn Irrigation – Lawn Love Ranking.” Lawn Care Blog | Lawn Love, June 15, 2022. https://lawnlove.com/blog/most-expensive-cities-lawn-irrigation/.