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Artificial Grass Moving Quickly After California Announces Mandatory Drought Restrictions

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — California leaders are hammering out details of new mandatory water restrictions announced by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The state is urging people to cut back on watering to once a week to meet the 25 percent cutback goal, though most water districts will limit watering to two to three times a week and have customers find other ways to meet the goal.

It'll be up to the more than 400 individual water districts to implement and enforce the mandatory cutbacks, which could lead to $500 fines for water wasters.

The California Water Resources Control Board will have oversight, and could find water districts up to $10,000 a day for lackluster conservation or enforcement.

Brown also called for 50 million square feet of lawns to be replaced with anything from mulch to rocks to artificial turf.

Drought-conscious Folsom homeowner Michelle Kwek likes what she sees.

"We had already taken out our front lawn a few years back, so we knew it was just a matter of time before we did the backyard, too," she said.

She's far from alone. At Artificial Grass Liquidators of Sacramento, the phones are ringing

General Manager Tony Skelnick has been so busy, he hasn't had time to finish his showroom. To keep up, he installs turf into the wee hours of the morning.

"We can't keep materials in stock. We're doing rush and emergency orders just to get materials to clients," he said.

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