Helping the Environment
by: David Gille

Most of the western United States has experienced moderate to severe drought conditions for the better part of 13 years. In Arizona, this current drought has now surpassed the worst drought in the last 100 years of record keeping. Beyond the written record, tree ring research reveals that 20 to 30 year droughts were not uncommon over the past 1,000 years in the major watersheds serving the City of Phoenix and surrounding municipalities. The impact of the drought on the Salt River and the Verde River systems has caused a reduction in allocations to Salt River Project customers, of which the City of Phoenix is one.

The most likely place drought will impact the average homeowner or business owner will involve how water is used outdoors. Though the City of Phoenix is not currently requiring residents and businesses to reduce their water use, depending on the severity of drought and the length of the drought, reducing total irrigation use, a ban on planting new grass or replacing existing grass areas or a total cutoff of all outdoor irrigation are possible measures the city may require from residents and businesses if the drought conditions continue. While conservation is something all desert dwellers should engage in at all times, it is particularly important to the management of water supplies during drought conditions. Preparing and planning for drought today will help reduce its impact in the future.

Legacy True Turf has been in business for 10 years supplying homeowners and businesses with a blended synthetic artificial turf that "looks like grass, feels like grass and plays like grass". It has all the benefits of natural grass without the use of fertilizer or chemicals. Artificial grass doesn't just save time - it saves water, too!

It takes 4,000 gallons of water a year to maintain a 100-square-foot piece of natural grass. If you take into account the fact that most people over water by two or three times, you're going to probably save 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of water per year on just that 10-by-10 foot piece of grass. Scottsdale and Mesa studies indicate that switching from natural grass to synthetic grass can save a typical homeowner 50% on a water bill.

If you want to put in natural grass, you're looking at $1.25 per square foot for the sod, then you have to get it installed, watered, fertilized and mowed, and when Spring rolls around, you have to start all over again with Bermuda grass. With synthetic grass, you don't need an irrigation system if you're building a new house, you save on your water bill and you don't have any of the work. Sure it's a little expensive, but look at the big picture. You don't waste water, you're not putting chemicals into the ground and you are also saving time. As for durability, I expect my product to last 15 to 20 years.

The synthetic grass of the 21^st century no longer has the artificial feel that defined the green indoor-outdoor carpet that most people think of when they hear the phrase "artificial turf". It has evolved into a plusher, thicker and softer grass that looks and feels very much like the real thing. People who have the old perception of synthetic grass from the '60s - plastic and bristly - are overwhelmed by how natural artificial turf has become. The synthetic grass that Legacy uses is a polypropylene and polyethylene blend and once installed, the synthetic grass is in-filled with cryogenic rubber and silica sand. We have a lot of people who just want a little piece of grass in their yard to give it a little green. There are others who do their whole yard or want a putting green, but just don't have the time it would take to maintain it.

So, "Go Green With Us" and give us a call. Come play in our new back yard. Visit our unique outdoor showroom where you can experience the true beauty of the best turf on earth!