Can Replacing Your Lawn with a Pool Save Water? Completely Possible!
September 2014. Lawns and pools are staples in LA landscapes. Both offer unbroken expanses, play space, and a visual sense of cool. They have something else in common: Of the 60 percent of residential water used outdoors, the vast majority can be attributed to pools and traditional lawns.
Naturally, these high water use garden features become targets in times of drought. In the 70s, we drained our pools. This time around, DWP and MWD offered Cash for Grass. So, if you are ready to sacrifice one or the other for the greater good, who wins the battle for water savings?
Believe it or not, like DWP, we back losing the lawn.
Make A Splash, Save 50 Percent
A traditional lawn drinks approximately 37,500 gallons of water per 1000 square feet annually. It will use more to establish itself in high heat. While a pool will use 20 percent more water than an Idealmow lawn, it will use only half the water an established traditional lawn needs to thrive.
Consider a Chemical Intervention
Pools also trump traditional lawns when we look at beyond-water environmental concerns. Traditional lawns need toxic chemical fertilizers and pesticides to survive our climate. These chemicals contribute to a variety of health problems, particularly for young children. They also have distinctively harmful impacts on our groundwater table and ocean health. In contrast, salt water pools and IdealMow lawns succeed without chemical intervention.
Pool vs. IdealMow
In the battle with a traditional lawn, pools come out on top. The equations change when comparing pools to IdealMow lawns. These California native and climate compatible lawn alternatives need only 20-30 percent of the water traditional lawns need to succeed in Los Angeles, and they can hold their own without any chemical boost.
More Information:
- Ways to Save the Water in Your Pool or Spa
- See Copper-Ionized Spa and Salt-Water Spool
- Learn about IdealMow lawn alternatives
- See IdealMow lawns on Pinterest
