“Brown is the new green” is the catchy new motto for the Santa Clara Valley Water District as drought conditions persist and calls for water conservation become desperate pleas.
Residents can now get signs with the slogan to stick into their crunchy, yellowed lawns. The water district hopes the signs will bolster pride for residents who are cutting back–and will stand out next to any nearby lush, green landscapes.
“We’re really concerned, and we’re going to ratchet up our campaign,” water district spokesman Marty Grimes said about the launch, which coincides with an Aug. 1 start date to $500 state-regulated fines for “egregious” overwatering.
Residents cut back water use by 12 percent from February to May, failing to meet the 20 percent statewide target, Grimes said.
He said the district wants people to use less water and to realize that having a brown lawn is a natural consequence of the drought. Grimes said the water district wants to see people water lawns twice a week, enough to maintain the root system.
“It’s the Golden State, not just because of the gold rush but because of the golden grass on the mountains,” Grimes said. “Your lawn is going to survive; even if it looks a little browner than normal, that’s OK.”
Previously, the water district had strongly encouraged residents to remove thirsty lawns and replace them with low-water landscapes. However, the “brown is the new green” campaign recognizes that not everyone is willing, or able, to get rid of their grass.
“We’re hoping people will use less. This is not the time to have a Downton Abbey landscape,” Grimes said, referring to the popular British drama that features homes with immaculate emerald lawns and manicured topiary.
Nearly 50 percent of residential water usage in Santa Clara County is for landscape irrigation, according to the water district, so limiting watering to two days per week will have a big impact, Grimes said.
The district offers other tips to help a lawn survive the drought, such as keeping grass longer to shade the ground and lessen evaporation, watering in the early morning and aerating the soil to provide nutrients to the root system.
The state Water Resources Control Board approved regulations July 15 that allow state and local agencies to fine those who are misusing water resources $500 per day, beginning Aug. 1. The state may also impose larger fines on municipalities that do not take action at the local level to reduce water usage.
Grimes said that the fines are not for well-meaning folks with a sprinkler head askew and that it would be preferable to have residents heed the agency’s warnings about overwatering.
The regulations “don’t prohibit watering; they prohibit runoff,” he said. The state regulations specifically bar residents and commercial water users from washing cars without a shutoff nozzle on the hose, watering landscape to the point of runoff, hosing down cement areas and using potable water in non-recirculating fountains.
San Jose resident Jan Soule said she opposes “excessive fines” for using water.
“The issue is that our legislators are more concerned with catering to the wishes of environmental groups that are contributing to their campaigns than serving the needs of taxpayers,” she stated in an e-mail, adding that resources would be better spent on “proper statewide water management.”
Seth Masters, a Monte Sereno resident, said he has already been taking water-saving measures since the water district declared the drought in January. He said that while he welcomes the $500 state fines and would “turn in” water wasters, he won’t be letting his lawn completely die. Instead, he is watering minimally.
He explained that he had helped some neighbors reset sprinkler systems so that they could consume less water, but others have refused to put the hose down. “They are watering ivy!” he said.
Kristofer Nurmia of Sunnyvale said he believes that people who blatantly overwater should be fined, adding that his apartment manager waters the complex grass several times a day.
“I think the $500 fine is an excellent thing and will hopefully put an end to wasting water,” he said.
One hiccup in the regulations is enforcement, said Grimes. Currently each water retailer within the district has its own set of restrictions in place without extra staff to police the situation.
“Cities and water companies don’t have resources to do this,” he said. The Santa Clara Valley Water District is working on ways to assist with “prohibition enforcement,” he said, starting with the unanimous July 22 board decision to spend $500,000 to hire up to 10 employees who would personally check on overwatering complaints within the 12 cities served by the district. The temporary employees would primarily have an “educational role,” Grimes said, but will pass their reports on to water retailers who would process fine paperwork if necessary.
In prior years of parched drought conditions–and calls for conservation–residents were caught off guard when turning off the tap meant a larger water bill later.
Jon Sanchez, a Cambrian Park resident for 17 years, said that he has “saved water at the expense of having a terrible-looking lawn for over eight years,” only to reap no financial benefit.
“Are they going to reward those who are already doing a great job of saving water or punish them like they punished many of us with increased rates?” Sanchez asked when interviewed.
Grimes said that while there are hopes that the water district can make up for loss of revenue in other ways, such as delaying infrastructure projects, the reality is that water prices may go up.
“There are fixed costs like treating and moving water,” he said. “It costs when you don’t sell. We might lose between $20 million and $40 million.”
It is not for sure that water prices will increase, and Grimes said there isn’t a prediction of how much rates could go up, but if they do, “it’s necessary,” he said.
“You’ve got to look at the bigger picture, which is that we need to survive this drought,” Grimes said.
Residents interested in receiving lawn signage can call 408.630.2000. For more tips and information visit save20gallons.org or call 408.630.2554. Residents can also request a Water-Wise House Call to see what changes can be made in their home by calling 1.800.548.1882
Green Canary to the rescue
Brown may be the new green, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A Los Gatos company, Green Canary, is in the business of painting grass green. It’s not a permanent fix for drought-ravaged lawns, but if a special event is coming up–say an outdoor wedding–a painted lawn will keep the drought police off your back.
The drought is keeping Green Canary president Shawn Sahbari and his crew busy crisscrossing the Bay Area. Last week found them at Almaden Valley Athletic Club, where the club’s manager hopes to cut back on outdoor watering by as much as 90 percent.
There’s a fair amount of prep work involved in painting grass. Sahbari and his crew mask tree trunks, sidewalks and anything else that’s in the way. Leaves and debris are also cleaned up. Then a spray wand disperses what Sahbari describes as “a highly concentrated water-based pigment.”
“We tested dozens of formulas, taking into account health and safety, aesthetics and economics. If it costs a million dollars people wouldn’t be interested in it,” Sahbari said.
Painting prices vary. “If you do the masking yourself it’s going to cost around 10 or 15 cents a square foot,” Sahbari said. “If we do the masking it can cost between 35 and 55 cents a square foot. Sometimes raking and cleaning up dog poop can take several hours.”
The formula Green Canary uses is safe for children, pets and the environment, and dries within an hour.
Sahbari says an application lasts longer if the grass is already dead. “If the grass is dead and there aren’t any people or dogs traipsing over it the paint will last a long time,” he said. “If the grass is living and being cut every 4-6 weeks it could last anywhere from 60 to 90 days.”
Back at the athletic club, manager Jeff Griffith-Jones said, “We love the painted grass. We’ve received many compliments on it already.” He said the club now plans to paint all its grass.
Visit green-canary.com or call 408.614.4959 for more information.
