Since 2012, the price of residential water in the United States has increased at an average rate of 5.5% per year, outpacing inflation and the costs of goods such as gasoline and food. As a result, monthly bills for residential water use have risen by 43% on average over the past decade.
To put this in context, residents in San Diego should anticipate an 18% increase in water rates over the next two years. This underscores the importance of knowing the actual cost of watering your lawn.
What is a lawn’s average water usage?
To ensure that an established lawn thrives, you should water the ground until the top 6 to 8 inches of soil becomes saturated.
Most lawns require 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week from rainfall or irrigation to reach this depth. Covering one square foot of lawn with one inch of water requires approximately 0.623 gallons.
That means every 10×10 area demands over 62 gallons.
