Pets and Water Conservation - The Common Thread?

It has been difficult to escape hearing about the looming water crisis that is threatening Southern California, but a dog can brighten anyone's day. So that aside, how does owning a pet relate to water conservation? The answer is simple: synthetic grass.

Over the past few years, synthetic lawns have begun showing up in yards across Southern California, often because homeowners have dogs that dig up their lawn and leave unsightly dry patches. Since water conservation has been featured heavily on the news recently, many people are now realizing synthetic turf is not only great for pets, but also water conservation.

"Over 80% of our customers are pet owners," said David Hartman, President of EasyTurf. "They install our product because it is hard to have a dog and maintain natural grass, but more and more, our customer's are now discovering that synthetic lawns also save a tremendous amount of water."

Pet owners across Southern California are now beginning to realize that installing synthetic grass not only prevents their pets from destroying their yards, but also greatly reduces their water use. With water bills rising 40% from 2007 levels, many are also installing synthetic grass to save on water bills and landscaping costs.

Installing a synthetic lawn can reduce residential water use up to 70% and doesn't require harmful pesticides or fertilizers that can contaminate California's natural water supply. Watering and maintaining natural grass uses as much as 325,900 gallons of water annually for every 10,000 square feet, so installing synthetic grass has a huge impact on the environment and prevents muddy paw prints all over your home.

The current drought is now very close to being the worst in California history according to Lester Snow, Director of the California Department of Water Resources and many experts now believe water rationing is imminent. All of these issues have led the Metropolitan Water District and other local water authorities to offer water conservation rebates to promote the purchase of synthetic grass.

For pet owners, owning a synthetic lawn provides a unique opportunity to not only have a pet and a beautiful lawn, but also reduce water bills and help the environment. With no water and virtually no maintenance required, a synthetic lawn can not only help you spend more time with your family and pets, but also increase California's water supply.

Joshua Nunn is the marketing manager for EasyTurf, an industry leading synthetic grass company based in Southern California. He is a proponent of synthetic turf due to its environmental benefits and inherent advantages over natural grass.