Las Vegas is a desert. It really doesn’t matter how hard we try to remake the environment to be more of what we want it to look like by planting exootic plants that are not natural for the area, the desert sun can literally kill almost any plant within a few days. Las Vegas is an area that essentially exists in a start of continual fantasy, relying on artificial things in order to maintain it’s appeal. Because there is not a lot of water in the desert, we make pools which will simulate the feel of a tropical paradise. Because there is not a lot of greenery in Las Vegas, we plant green plants that could never exist for very long if they did not have artificial water supplies running to them. Without the water that we supply, all plants die off pretty quickly and are reclaimed by the desert.
In Las Vegas, the ample supply of water created by Lake Mead is not infinite. When the population was small, there was enough water to assure that there would be enough for everyone to drink, but as the population has grown and the drought conditions have gotten worse, we realize that the only way to remain in a safe place in Las Vegas with enough water for all citizens and animals to drink is to make sure that we are not wasting it. This means that each and every citizen has to commit to the idea of conserving water, even if it is only for the benefit that it brings you personally. There are many ways that water conservation benefits the community, but the ways that it can benefit your personally as a Las Vegas resident may surprise you.
First of all, conserving water saves you money every month on your water bill. If you have a lot of plants in your yard, your monthly water bill is going to be pretty high in the summertime. You are also going to have to pay landscaping people to trim and mow your yard if you have one, just to keep it looking good. All of these costs can be completely avoided or eliminated if you just were to install a water smart landscaping or ground covering like synthetic turf. The synthetic grass looks and feels exactly like real grass only it never grows, which means that you are not going to have to water it or pay someone to care for it. Another obvious savings will be found on the discounts that you can receive from the water authority if you remove your grass and replace it with artificial turf. During a drought situation like the one we currently have, you can be reimbursed up to two dollars per square foot of grass that you remove and replace, allowing you to have a new and fresh looking yard for a low price. If you have a large yard, you are going to find the savings significant, and you will also find that a maintenance free yard adds resale value to your home.