Lawn junkies should follow these rules

Kimberly Mcgee

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 | 9:38 a.m.

The government is not on the side of those with lawn lust.

Earlier this month the North Las Vegas City Council joined Las Vegas and Clark County by unanimously voting to limit the amount of grass that can be planted in a front yard to no more than half of the available space.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has requested that valley residents conserve water by 25 percent of what they use now, in an effort to ensure water in the distant future. The average household, including a lawn, uses 190 gallons of water per day and person.

Doug Bennett, conservation manager for Las Vegas Valley Water District said those who crave a big lawn should take care of its lifeblood -- water.

"If they decide a lawn is what they want, they should use a reasonable amount of water on the lawn and periodically check the lines and sprinkler (heads)," he said. "You can waste a lot of water if you are not putting it where (you) want it to go."

Sprinkler lines can crack and break, seeping water into the ground and raising water bills.

Sprinklers should run for no longer than five minutes twice a week in November through February; four days a week in March and October; five in April; six in May and September; and seven June through August.

The soil in the valley, Bennett said, does not absorb water well. The Water District recommends watering between midnight and dawn in short bursts so that the lawn has time to soak up the water.

The most wasteful practice by lawn care-givers is watering while the wind is howling, causing the fine spray from sprinklers to hitch a ride elsewhere or evaporate.

"More than half the water is carried away," Bennett said. "It's a big waste."