AWWA JAW64309

This discussion article challenges the irrigation industry's claim that it is responding appropriately to the realities of today's chronic droughts and water shortages. The author offers insight into how drinking water managers are increasingly influenced by growing outdoor water demands directly linked to the proliferation of automatic irrigation systems on home lawns and landscapes. As new and alternative water sources become increasingly limited and the U.S. population continues to grow, Vickers asks how long, and at what cost, can water suppliers and the public afford to satisfy growing water demands associated with lawn and landscape irrigation? Vickers answers this question by offering a new paradigm and a five-point prescription for addressing this growing problem. She also clarifies the differences between society's water wants versus its actual water needs and argues that if we hope to realize more sustainable water supplies in the future, the "line in the sand" may actually be on our front lawns. Includes 12 references.