The City of Mesa Is Removing Non-Functional Grass to Save Water
In an effort to conserve water, the city of Mesa is removing non-functional grass from parks and other areas.
On Monday, special teams in Mesa began removing grass from dozens of parks and other locations to help save water.
The city is eliminating about five acres of grass in 54 parks that are deemed “non-functional,” meaning they are located near walls where people do not use the grass for recreation.
Mesa estimates that this initiative will save over 5 million gallons of water from the Colorado River each year.
To put that into perspective, it would be approximately 15 soccer fields covered by 30 centimeters of water.
“By just removing these small strips where we know people don’t play anyways, we can save water and focus our irrigation where people enjoy it the most,” explained Andrea Moore, Director of Mesa’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Department.
A grant from the Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority is helping the city offset the cost of removing the small grass sections throughout the city.
The removed grass will be replaced with granite or stone surrounded by curbing.
Chandler is also expected to eliminate non-functional grass in 14 potential sites, such as retention basins, parks, and public utility sites, and convert them to xeriscapes (landscapes that require less water).
“We are currently reviewing design proposals and holding meetings with stakeholders to assess options,” said Simone Kjolsrud, Chandler’s Water Resources Manager, in a statement to 12News via email.
Moore mentioned that it will take a couple of years to complete the 54 sites in Mesa, and the rest of the grass will be available for the community to recreate on.
In addition to removing non-functional grass, the city is also modifying irrigation systems to be more efficient and save gallons of water.
“Being smart with water, we have to set an example for the community to understand that it is a good way to take care of our natural resources. We set grass in places where people play, but we also enjoy drought-adapted plants to create natural landscapes,” concluded Moore.
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