Austin Water Utility Wants Home Owners To Let St. Augustine Grass Die - Install Bermuda or Buffalo Grass

The Austin Water Utility is asking for home owners with St. Augustine grass to let their yards die and replace it with an option that takes less watering, like Bermuda or Buffalo Grass, especially in times of droughts. Austin Water has a plan in place that will pay home owners $10 for every 100 sqft of yard.

I chuckled for a couple of reasons when I saw that number. The first being, it's ten bucks... Do you know how much it costs to put down a new yard? Anywhere from $60 to $75 for each 100 sqft, depending on whether you choose Bermuda or Buffalo and then the cost to tear out the dead yard.

Another reason I chuckled is because these people with lush, green, St. Augustine yards right now know what their water bills are, and if they didn't want their water bills to be so high, they would have already let their yard die. But also, if they're willing to spend that much on a lush, green yard, how does $10 entice them to switch?

Instead of chuckling, other people are upset with this. They don't feel people should be compensated for "common sense". Some people feel St. Augustine was not the right thing to use in Central Texas and common sense already told them they shouldn't use it, especially when they see their water bills going up and up, even with the current watering restrictions throughout the area.

What do you think? Should people be paid to make changes, or should they just be told to make changes? Should curtain things not be "allowed", and besides an HOA making a rule on it, how do you make a city-wide rule banning a certain grass?

I wonder how many people accept this $10 for each 100 sqft. Looking at my yard (I have Bermuda, by the way), I have about 500 sqft of yard just in the front. Is $50 enticing? I guess it's like getting a coupon for about 13% off...

**Are You Packed Yet?**

Donna Harris, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Austin Skyline
www.DonnaHomes.com
Donna@DonnaHomes.com
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* Austin Water Utility Wants Home Owners To Let St. Augustine Grass Die - Install Bermuda or Buffalo Grass * was first published on donnahomesblog.com.