One Redditor was deeply frustrated with the amount of water they said they saw wasted while they were running errands.
The post appeared in r/Anticonsumption, a community dedicated to saving the planet by reducing the amount of resources wasted and trash produced. Not only does this help individuals save money by buying fewer unnecessary items, but it also reduces pollution and helps with water conservation. That's becoming an urgent issue in the driest parts of the United States as the world's increasing temperature has contributed to long-lasting drought.
Conservation doesn't seem to have been on this community's mind when the original poster went out, however. "Went out to run some errands this afternoon and it was pouring it down with rain," they said. "I passed several houses and businesses and they had the sprinklers running on their lawn. During a rainstorm."
The Redditor pointed out three problems with this. "One: You don't need sprinklers during a rainstorm. Two: You don't need sprinklers in October. Three: You don't need sprinklers, period."
The first point seems obvious, yet it doesn't stop some home and business owners from wasting water and running up their utility bills as this HOA did. Turning them off would save money.
The Redditor's second point depends on where they live, but in most of the United States, grass growth has slowed or even stopped by late October, according to Home for the Harvest. A lawn is unlikely to need much water at that time, and in cool autumn temperatures, it dries out slowly, so natural rainfall is often enough.
Their third point is the most controversial, but a growing number of homeowners have joined the anti-lawn movement and are doing away with sprinklers completely. Grass takes a huge amount of maintenance and water to keep it looking nice; by comparison, native plants or drought-tolerant varieties often need little to no care and extra water. Many people are making the switch to save money or to be eco-friendly.
Other Redditors agreed with the original poster's assessment. "I just walked my dog in the rain (5am) and most of my neighbors' sprinklers were on," said one user. "I see it every morning and it drives me nuts. None of them even stopped a few years back, when we got reduced water notices and drought advisories."
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