There is a serious drought going on in Las Vegas, unlike any we have seen in most of our lifetimes. Water reservoir levels at Lake Mead are at critically low points, and although there has recently been a slight improvement in the amount of rainfall that is typically seen at this time of year, we are by no means out of the woods. Watering restrictions have been put in place over the last few years that prohibit you from watering your lawn and plants outside of a specific water day that is tied to the group you are in. If you water outside of the imposed restriction times, you will face fines and potentially even the complete shutoff of your water service. This is all in the hopes of conserving the water that we do have in order to guarantee that we have access in emergency situations, and these rules must be followed by all residents of Clark County if we are to be successful. Even though it is painful to watch as your lawn dies and your plants dry up in the summer heat, it is necessary.
The water authority has recently raised rates on water, and most residents will see a monthly increase of about seventy-five cents per month on their bills. Heavy water users will see far greater prices reflected on their bills. The water authority has also rolled out a program designed to compensate homeowners who switch from lawns and water loving plants to water smart landscaping elements like artificial turf, pavers and other desert landscaping. The program compensates homeowners and businesses who take out turf, giving them a dollar credit for every two feet of sod that is removed, and replaced with water-smart landscaping. These programs are designed to keep the conservation efforts going, as there is still a drought and water shortage situation going on, even though there has been improved rain over the last month.
Homeowners from other parts of the country may not be familiar with desert landscaping, and my feel a certain amount of culture shock to look out onto their yards and not see green grass. For these people who absolutely cannot imagine a beautiful landscape made up of elements that are more natural to the desert, there is another possibility. Synthetic grass is not the same product that you think of from the past, that looked like a carpet rolled out across the exterior of a home. Today’s synthetic grass products are designed to not only look and feel nearly identical to real grass, but they are so well made that if we install it for you we will give you a guarantee that you will be happy with it for the next ten years. You are going to save water and money that you would pay in water bills, as well as saving the money and time that would be spent on landscaping and services to care for your lawn. Once it is installed, it needs almost no maintenance in order to remain beautiful, and that saves you time. You can now spend your days enjoying your lawn, instead of mowing it.