Santa Barbara Residents Turn to Synthetic Grass During Drought

Some Santa Barbara homeowners are thinking green…fake green if you will, to save water during the drought.

Water restrictions are now common thanks to the severe California drought. So one of your options, other than having brown dead grass, is buying fake synthetic turf.

Santa Barbara resident Bill Werlin installed synthetic grass in his home over one weekend. “Does it look exactly the same as natural grass? No it doesn’t, but does it look better than bare dirt? Yes it does,” said Werlin. “The primary benefit is saving water. If you look on a grand scale, many world problems right now are based on oil. The next big thing will be fresh water.”

Aqua Flo Supply in Goleta have not only seen more people purchasing synthetic grass for their front lawns, but their backyards as well. Tim Laber with Aqua Flo said they have seen an increase in sales in just the last year and a half.

“A single family residence is going to be a couple hundred square feet to about a thousand square foot lawn,” said Laber. “Replacing it could save hundreds of dollars a month in water. The material itself could cost up to $2-$4 a square foot but it does qualify for a rebate in the city of Santa Barbara. Up to a $1,000.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is California has the option of saving water and turfing their front yards. The practice is illegal in Sacramento and has been since 1984.