John T. is trying to salvage the grass at his daughter's home.
"It's something you don't want to let (the heat) destroy, because it costs a lot of money to bring back," he said. "I know it's a lot of water, but I don't want to lose my grass."
He hadn't heard about the restrictions put in place earlier this year and enacted this month by The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency.
"Studies have shown that watering lawns twice a week, even during hot, dry conditions, is adequate," explained James Stinson with The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency.
The WJPA says as much as 80 percent of the water used in The Woodlands is spent on lawns during summer as irrigation. There are so many people using water here that what's coming out of the underground aquifers is not being replenished quickly enough. At this rate experts say it would eventually run out.
"We really have to draw a line," said resident Sammie Miller. "Do we want to keep our yards pretty or have water to drink?"
So the agency has now instituted a year-round mandatory irrigation schedule: odd numbered addresses are allowed to water only from 8pm Friday - 4am Saturday and 8pm Tuesday - 4am Wednesday. Even addresses are scheduled for 8pm Saturday - 4am Sunday and 8pm Wednesday - 4am Thursday.
The first violation is a warning. Next is $50, then $100 and every time thereafter costs $200.
We worked on this story with help from our friends at Houston Community Newspapers. You can read more in the Woodlands Villager.
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