By Dr. Mike Dietz

The one thing that people don’t want to hear is outdoor irrigation for watering lawns, and that is a waste, in my opinion. If you’re an agricultural producer or are growing a garden, that’s one thing, we need food, but if you are throwing that water on a green lawn, it’s just an absolute waste.

That’s an area where we can make a difference. It is very tied into neighborhoods and trying to keep up with your neighbors with the idea that everybody’s got this nice, lush green lawn. You can’t be the one slacker that has the brown lawn. Trying to crack that is tough because it’s a real social issue too.

For homeowners, rain barrels are good, but obviously, if you’re trying to water a bigger area, it is not as practical. For more information visit ctiwr.uconn.edu