On many summer afternoons, if you look closely enough, you’ll find plenty of Inland Northwest households waging a quiet war against the scorching sun. Sprinkler heads pop up, sounding off with rhythmic ticks as gallons of water disperse over turf in attempts to keep it green and pristine through the scorching heat.
For many homeowners, caring for grass is a point of pride, signaling a well-kept property and neighborhood. But some in Spokane are using four times the amount of water needed to maintain a healthy landscape, according to Marlene Feist, the city’s Public Works director.
During the peak of summer, the average household in the city of Spokane uses 553 gallons of water per day outdoors, as the city’s Water Wise conservation program reported in 2020. The city ranks in the top 2% nationally for residential water use, with Spokanites using an average of 199 gallons per person per day, Feist says…