DENVER (KDVR) — The Aurora City Council war on yard turf might save water in future developments, but for existing homeowners, the costs could outweigh the benefits.
A bill will be introduced on April 18 that would ban all new single-family homes from having front and side lawns and cut the backyard’s turf allowance in half.
The city has already offered rebates on so-called “xeriscaping,” tearing out Kentucky bluegrass and replacing it with low-water landscaping such as stones, bricks and plants that are native to Colorado’s high, arid climate. Metro areas around the Southwest including Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas have each passed laws similar to the one Aurora is considering.
Potentially, savings on water bills can be significant.
About half of a household’s water use is outdoors water use, according to a Colorado State University study.
Estimates vary as much as the size of lawns, but Aurora has some of the largest average lawn sizes in the state. A medium use of water in the summer months costs $195, according to the City of Aurora.
Potentially, this is a cost savings of $97.60 per household.
On the other hand, xeriscaping can be a significant upfront cost for households that already have lawns. Cost savings would take many months to break even if xeriscaping costs exceed the maximum $3,000 rebate offered by Aurora.
Getting rid of grass could also impact a home’s energy consumption.
A New Mexico State University study compared grass to hardscaping, finding the latter increases heat levels. Without turfgrass, homes absorb more heat onto their sides. In an era of rapidly-climbing energy costs, households could also need to shell out more in cooling bills.