Bottom Line: Landscaping is using 50-70 percent of [California] potable water. Since water is for people (not lawns), luxury landscapes should come with luxury water bills!
Better yet, governments should encourage and perhaps mandate the use of drought resistant lawns and landscapes. Having lush lawns of green grass in semi-arid or desert areas, especially during droughts, now borders on irresponsible and in a few years as the water shortages worsen will probably be viewed by most as near-criminal. It’s a practice that is right up there with building more golf courses in the Palm Springs area even as their water table drops precipitously.
Lawns are for those too stupid to grow food.
Here in South Australia, we are allowed to water for a total of three hours a week. Many people are ripping out their lawns and putting in more sensible drought tolerant garden areas. Water will cost more and heavy users will be penalised. Many people have given up on gardens all together. Very unsustainable practices of a few years ago gone. English Cottage Gardens all but disappeared.
I remember during one water shortage in Los Angeles, every lawn was brown. But you could drive past the Beverly Hills Country Club and (if you peeked between the trees and fences that kept the riff-raff out) see acres and acres of bright green, freshly-mowed grass.
Like everything else (energy, food, etc.) we seem to believe it’s okay to waste water if you’ve got the money, no matter how much someone else might need it.
When it comes to landscaping and labor intensive work I always bring out the bad boy toys. After destroying two back ends in my truck I finally decided to purchase some heavy duty equipment to help me on my way. I have found my dump truck and bucket truck to be very helpful with trimming tall trees and removing the debris from my yard.