[Luc_H]

I did not know there are laws that forces residents to water their lawn in this environmentally conscious and drought stricken world.
Personally, I would arrest people that water their lawns when it rains.

Bloodied 70-year-old woman cuffed for having a brown lawn - CNN.com

Luc H

[Mezzaluna]

We have watering bans and limitations here, just west of the sub-continental divide. A few miles east, all the water drains into the Great Lakes. Where we are, just west, waters drain into the Mississippi basin. The aquifer beneath us here is running low but is also tainted with radon, a known carcinogen. We're trying to work out a compact in our area with the Great Lakes water commission to be able to use Lake Michigan water. The trick is to return as much water to the lake (cleaned up, of course) as we remove. As bountiful a freshwater resource as the lakes seem, they're shrinking.

We rarely water our lawn and I'm trying not to feed it much. In my opinion, lawns are an insane waste of resources and source of pollution. I'd prefer either a more natural prairie-like yard or some type of zeroscaping with rocks and a few hardy, water-conserving plants.

[kuan]

70 years old and defying the police! Way to go!

[Headless Chicken]

I remembered hearing that some parts in the states, its mandatory to keep your lawns green or face a fine. Its another 1 of those very stupid "wtf was I sniffing, snorting, and/or injecting last night" type laws.

When we had that huge blackout across the Eastern Seaboard a few years back, my neighbor across the street and a few doors down was not watering his lawn but washing his windows with the garden hose. Because power was out for a few days, fresh water purifiers were running on minimum with little in reserve so a water used limitation was on but everyone on the street who told him that got a friendly "f**k you" from the butthead. This is the same guy who is so protective of his car, he takes up 2 spaces so nobody can park near his car. Whenever the space is open, I park my mom's SUV a meager 1.5 inches between bumpers just to see him sweat and curse at me through his sound proof windows.

[phatch]

Most cities have laws about front yards, too many weeds, plant limitations and lots of other silliness. Eyesores enter into it too.

Silly yes, but very common.

phil

[tessa]

im so glad nz is a lot more relaxed about stuff like that

why should the city be worried if somebodies lawn is brown , what if they cant afford to pay for extra water than what they already use

[phatch]

She had asked the city to turn off her water while she was gone. Something like 7 months it was off.

Phil

[canadiangirl]

CRAZY!!
My husbands pepe(fr.) always wanted to pave his yard & paint it green! A homeowner around the corner had their yard concrete stamped & it looks pretty cute. Something you'de have to see.
I will never water our lawn. The city just raised our water & sewage rates 86%!!!!
So my $160 water bill will be at least $320!!!!!!!!!!!FOR TAP WATER!!!!!!

canadiangirl

[tessa]

are the councils so concerned about your lawns/gardens , what does it have to do with them

[AndyG]

Weird. We can get fines FOR watering our lawn at driest times. tessa, just want to point out that this made news because it is mostly unheard of here.

I consider lawns here where I live as an excess--it's desert here.

[deltadoc]

Where I live in the Twin Cities, our particular city has had an odd/even address restriction on watering every summer for 3-4 years now. But my nut neighbor, whose own sister I used to work with told me he is a real hot-head and thinks everyone in the world should see things just like he does, has built a concrete monstrosity next to me on what used to be my beautiful pristine vacant lot.

With concrete line tiers going up several levels, and 7 types of fencing in his yard (remnants from his construction job), he waters every morning and evening, just before the city officials come to work, and just after they go home. I've reported him for watering on even numbered days (his address is odd numbered), and they do nothing.

For miles up and down the highway out in front, his is the only residence with any type of front yard fencing, and the only one with a yard looks like a putting green in a prestigious golf club.

Yet, the city does nothing. Everyone else's yard looks rustic just like mine. This guy is a nut ball. There should ougta be a law!

doc

[Peachcreek]

First thing I think of is why a person believes they can live in a house with no running water? Forget about the lawn, what about the sanitation issue? Anyway...
I live in an area that has water restrictions. I removed my front and side lawns and xerascaped them so I was able to reduce my water consumption. The other upside is that my front and side yard maintainance can be done with a leaf blower!
I took out over half of my lawn so that the remaining portion and garden still do look like a golf course, but I can easily do it without using all my legal watering time... You don't want to tick off the neighbors...
And also I'm a long term "green" lawnkeeper- I use a push mower, pick weeds, no pesticides or herbicides, limited fertilizer, hand thatch etc. I get compliments on my lawn all the time...