Pretty much all residents of Las Vegas understand that we are in the middle of one of the most severe water crisis situations in history. While the construction of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead allowed the Las Vegas valley to become populated more than the small amount of people who lived in harsh desert conditions before it, the water is not unlimited. The plentiful water at the beginning allowed for fresh water to be piped into any household within the area. The construction of homes with indoor plumbing and the invention of air conditioning allowed people to comfortably live within desert conditions, and allowed the population of the city to grow as people sought the possibilities for employment that arose from a growing community. People chose to carve out their little piece of America in the desert, and through modern conveniences like running water in their homes, they attempted to prove that enough money can remake any situation into one that is beneficial to you. Unfortunately, over time that attitude created a negative situation in Las Vegas. When the population swelled and drought conditions hit at the same time, we began to watch the water levels in Lake Mead drop significantly. This continued year over year, until we realized that we must begin to conserve water if we are to have an assurance of enough to be available to everyone who needs it. Without access to enough public drinking water, there can easily be death and harm in the desert, especially in a community of our size. The county began measures to encourage conservation, and rewarded those who took measures themselves.
It is illegal to water your lawn or waste water on other things on certain days of the week or at certain times. Those who disobey these rules can face stiff fines and even have those water privileges shut off. In addition to these regulations and advertising campaigns that remind people continually to conserve, there are rebate programs that reward those who take steps to conserve. The primary push within these rebate programs is monetary savings on the removal of grass lawns and the replacement with more appropriate forms of landscaping. Our desires to recreate our environment caused so many people to install grass lawns that are fed with artificial sprinkler systems that we eventually found that the water necessary for our own survival was being fed to grass which is purely decorative. In a nutshell, this activity and attitude needs to stop. We live in a desert, and a grass lawn wastes up to 50 gallons of water per year per square foot.
Those who remove their lawns will receive rebates on the types of landscaping that can replace it and save water. This can be desert landscaping or concrete, pavers or even artificial turf. With the installation of synthetic grass, you will have all of the benefits of traditional grass lawns without the need for water or even care of any kind. You can expect it to pay for itself over time, and also receive a rebate while you do it!