Wasting Water or Just Keeping it Green in the Park Cities?
Prompted by this reader submitted bust last year, others are sending photos in hopes of qualifying for the unofficial June 2011 Biggest Waste of Water in the Park Cities Sweepstakes.
Photo number 1 is a mid-day watering at the Park Cities YMCA University Park Elementary. The other was taken yesterday at 4:30 in the afternoon at SMU, about two hours after the sprinklers got busy cooling the grass in 100 degree heat.
Correction, photo one is at UP Elementary around 4:30 last week (not YMCA). Does the City’s ban on watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. apply only to homeowners, and not the City, HPISD or SMU?
@Chris, good catch. Corrected!
SMU is putting in new grass on the practice field. Seems like it would be necessary to water new grass when it’s so hot.
Oh and that pic of SMU I believe is of the new practice fields. SMU just planted that grass a few days ago. When you plant new grass you have to water it excessively so that it does not die. That’s why they were watering during the day I expect. In fact they were watering this morning as I drove by to work. Who knows if the city fined them or they just paid the fine because they spent a lot of money on re-grassing that field.
Merritt, for clarification, here is info from http://www.uptexas.org with respect to watering.
Annual ban on daytime use of automatic sprinkler systems
From April 1 through October 31, residents and business operators are prohibited from using automatic sprinkler and irrigation systems between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Handheld watering with a can, hose or soaker hose is permitted at all times. In the interest of area-wide water conservation, the City of Dallas and the Town of Highland Park adhere to these same restrictions, times and dates. In all three communities, property owners can be cited and fined for non-compliance
I was told that the new grass on the SMU practice field was paid for by the family that had the ginormous wedding there a few weeks ago, with the huge tents on the field.
Chris, SMU is held accountable to all laws, codes, and restrictions as any homeowner. Except when they choose not to be. Then they get to do whatever they tell the city council to let them do.
Unbelievable. I just drove down Mockingbird past the SMU campus. They’re at it again (2:05 pm, 99 degrees).
I don’t care if they just planted a new field. If I replanted my yard and decided I needed to run my sprinklers all day every day to keep it from dying, the city wouldn’t make an exception for me.
This from the State of Texas for “Water IQ.” It’s too precious of a resource to be watering in the heat of day. I’m not a lawn expert, but I don’t think SMUs grass will die if they don’t drench it between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/assistance/conservation/ConservationPublications/InAndAroundHome.pdf
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Folks! When your mayors and alot of city council members are SMU Grads, they get what they want. I’m sure they will get there citation in the mail.
Plus, when you water in the middle of the day with automatic, or any, sprinklers, most of the water will evaporate. Using a hose to hand water should be fine, but using sprinklers is a waste of time and water.
On second thought, maybe this is just Gerald Turner’s way of giving the middle finger to the community after his side lost the beer and wine vote. Well done, sir.
“So,” Turner muttered to himself, his chalky fingers caressing the blinking buttons of the sprinkler control panel in the darkened sub-basement of Dallas Hall, “you voted for wet? I’ll show you wet.”
The two inch square red button printed with the words “ZONE 41 – PRACTICE FIELD” was one of several dozen, but it was the only one he would press. With his usual flair for misguided drama, he lifted the clenched fist of his right hand just above eye level, pausing only for an instant to gather his thoughts. “From Hell’s heart I stab at thee,” he hissed as he smashed the little red square.
No one saw this performance. He was alone.
check the exemptions for new sod
Neal, I want to order this book for my dad for father’s day, what’s the isbn?
It’s not published yet, but I hope to enter it into this contest: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com