Artificial turf is far superior to real grass in Las Vegas. The same goes for desert landscaping or xeriscaping, or any other form of landscaping that is designed to use little to no water and still look good. We have to face the fact that Las Vegas is a desert environment, and lush green plants do not naturally grow here. The only way to keep these types of plants alive is through the use of artificial watering systems that will supply water to the plant directly, ultimately creating a large-scale waste of water across the valley. Many people do not realize the extent of the water waste in Las Vegas, but to put it into perspective each square foot of grass will consume more than 55 gallons of water every year just to stay alive. When you think about how many thousands of square feet of grass there are here, you can see the extent of the waste. Once this water is in the ground, it is not salvageable for drinking water again. The explosive growth of our community over the course of the last 20 years has placed us into the position that the average rainfall  no longer replenishes Lake Meade to the levels we need it to. As a result we are in a constant state of shortage, and years that have less than average rainfall create a crisis. If there is a projection of there not being enough water on hand for the drinking purposes of our population, we immediately enter a state where conservation is necessary. Aspects of this effort include fines for wasting water as well as rebates and incentives for living water smart.

One of the most popular incentives that you can take advantage of is the rebate that SNWA offers for people who remove their existing grass and replace it with a ground covering that does not waste water. These types of landscaping include crushed rock, pavers and artificial turf (fake grass.) Within the rebate program, each square foot of grass that is removed and replaced with a professional installation of water smart ground covering will get the home owner up to 3 dollars in credits. This program can go a long way towards reducing the prices of installation of artificial turf, and the ongoing water savings will eventually pay for it completely. It is estimated that an installation of artificial turf will be paid off within five years of the installation through the rebates and savings on water bills. In addition, low maintenance landscaping like these will also add to your property values, as yardwork has become out of fashion with people who are moving to Las Vegas. Bother retiring people as well as young people seeking opportunities no longer want to spend their weekends mowing their lawn, or paying someone else to do it for them. Artificial turf allows you to have a beautiful landscape and still not have to pay for the water and upkeep. Isn’t it time you upgraded to artificial turf?