New Vacaville Drought Watering Rules Partially Exempt Sports Fields
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — Vacaville city leaders have voted to allow some places to have lush lawns while others across the city turn brown, exempting some sports fields from the city's drought watering schedule.
Vacaville is under state orders to reduce water use by 32 percent, and they're doing that by issuing a Stage 3 drought emergency and limiting outdoor watering to just two days a week.
But not at one soccer complex where they've been watering up to four times a week.
Soccer club board member Mike Smith says there's no need for a turf battle, because they can still cut back by watering smarter.
"It's not when you apply water, it's how you apply water and how much water you apply," he said. "We changed to a controller that does automatic weather based irrigation scheduling and that allows to increase or decrease water based on temperature, wind, humidity and other variables."
Parents say the lush lawn is needed to prevent injuries.
"It cushions the fall when they fall in playing the sport, when the grass gets brown it's just a lot harder on their bodies," Elizabeth Swanson-Callan said.
City leaders say sports fields can begin watering on additional days, so long as the 32 percent conservation requirement continues.
Other cities have similar exemptions for sports fields.
The city of Sacramento says the amount of water they use is determined by the park's usage and overall conditions.
In Roseville, it's the same, though their reduction goal is 30 percent vs 39 percent in Sacramento.
In Stockton, several of the agencies also pointed out that many times parks actually reuse water.
Schools are exempt in Modesto, though the city says it has chosen to let ornamental turf areas die.
