Unless you manually hose down your lawn and carefully examine your water bill, you might not realize just how much water a natural grass lawn requires in the Las Vegas area. We set our sprinklers and irrigation systems and forget about it. Meanwhile, that grass drinks thousands and thousands of gallons per year.
Synthetic turf alternatives can bring huge water savings — almost down to nil. When used in conjunction with water-wise landscaping techniques, your outdoors can actually look more green and beautiful than ever while significantly helping your utility bills and the environment.
Water Savings of Synthetic Turf vs. Grass
However much water you use on a grass lawn, that’s about how much synthetic turf can save. The turf only requires an occasional hosing down for cleaning.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) estimates that synthetic turf saves about 55 gallons of water annually — for every square foot! That’s 55,000 gallons for a small 1,000 square-foot lawn.
SNWA also provides a handy water use estimator to help you get a ballpark idea of your lawn’s annual water consumption.
Biggest savings: With natural grass, some areas of the yard will struggle more than others. If you have to water one section of the lawn more than others, your real water usage might be higher than estimated. Synthetic turf becomes more valuable, the more your grass yard needs watering.
Can Artificial Turf Pay for Itself in Water Savings?
Over time, yes — synthetic grass is a smart investment that brings back your money. It might take more than a few years to completely pay for itself. However, synthetic turf can last even longer than that!
First, it’s important to note that the SNWA offers cash rebates for replacing natural grass with artificial turf. It’s easy to qualify for the rebate. The award pays $2 per square feet for the first 5,000 square feet, then $1 per square foot beyond that. Commercial properties can also receive a rebate.
The SNWA rebate takes care of a large chunk of the cost of installing a synthetic lawn. Then you recoup more of the costs immediately and in years to come:
- Determine the annual amount of water utility costs that comes from watering grass
- Estimate how much you spend on lawn mowing services, fertilizer, weed killers, and other maintenance expenses
- Add the annual water and maintenance costs together, and you can see how many years it takes for the synthetic lawn to pay for itself (after rebate!)
- Consider the value of your time — turf will also free you from most of the maintenance requirements of a grass yard.
Save Water with Synthetic Turf in Las Vegas, NV
The desert landscaping experts at Desert Greenscapes can answer your questions about artificial turf savings and water-wise landscaping. Contact us or call 702-529-0377 for a free, no-obligation estimate.