Editor:
“To provide your lawn with one inch of water takes a little over half a gallon per square foot (0.623 gallon to be more exact). That means that every 10’ x 10’ area will require over 62 gallons of water. That doesn’t sound like much until you consider that a 100’ x 100’ lawn uses 6,230 gallons of water every time you turn on the sprinklers!” (https://www.todayshomeowner.com/calculating-lawn-irrigation-costs/)
In 2016, the SCRD issued 55 separate “21-day temporary lawn watering permits.” This promotes a huge unnecessary loss of potable water.
Best to educate the public on ways of having a lawn without the need of extra water. Lawns are not a necessity for life, water is.
Consider getting rid of grass altogether and plant indigenous and drought-resistant material. Hey, you’ll save money, help conserve water. Best yet, you won’t spend your Saturdays behind the lawn mower.
If you must have a green lawn, try planting low growing white clover.
Clover is an extremely drought-resistant plant and will keep its cool-green colour even during the hottest and driest parts of summer.
Slow growing, it produces small white flowers, often tinged with pink, creating a beautiful visual effect, attracting bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects that prey on garden pests,
White clover (Trifolium repens) easily spreads and crowds out broadleaf weeds while growing harmoniously with grass, thriving in areas that are poorly drained or too shady for a conventional lawn, and tolerates foot traffic when combined with lawn grass.
See planting for drought conditions at http://www.drought-smart-plants.com/groundcovers-for-xeriscaping.html.
The SCRD is too caught up in the money and infractions leading to convictions derived from the “temporary watering permits.” Save tax money and eliminate “21- day temporary lawn watering permits.”
Vel Anderson,
Elphinstone
