In 2022, Scientists found that due to rising temperatures, California experienced the driest 22-year period in more than 1,200 years.
All too familiar with dry seasons and drought, the Golden State has emergency regulations in place to prevent wasteful water usage and infuse conservation into the West Coast way of life.
One Reddit user shared their concern about some of the regulations in r/LandlordLove, a tenant-focused subreddit for individual and systemic problems with rental properties.
The post explains the predicament of trying to placate state water regulations and a lease agreement simultaneously. While the lease states the renter is responsible for maintaining the lawn, the water restrictions make it impossible.
Even using as much water as the restrictions allow, the grass is still dying. This did not pass the landlord's notice, who made a direct comment about the yard being dry.
The Reddit user explained, "we're up to over 6,000 gallons a month … I feel really terrible about using this amount of water during a drought."
According to the Princeton Student Climate Initiative, lawns are the most grown crop in the United States, covering more than 40 million acres of land — and they're just for show.
The biggest source of water consumption in American households is lawn watering. Grass lawns have been reported to take up roughly one-third of all residential water use in the U.S., amounting to nearly nine billion gallons of water each day.
A water-guzzling lawn that doesn't produce food or support local ecosystems should be a low priority in these circumstances. Many people have switched to money and time-saving grassless lawns, and cultivating vegetable gardens, native plants, and flowers instead.
One Reddit user agreed, saying, "Your landlord needs to tear up the lawn and put down native plants."
"A good lawn cuts their climate change garbage," another one reasoned.
"Get high heat fertilizer that keeps the lawn green when temps go over 100," someone else suggested.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
