This is just unnecessary.
A Redditor on r/NoLawns shared a video of their neighbor's bewildering behavior: letting the sprinklers run in the pouring rain.
The video shows several sprinklers watering a lawn in the pouring rain. The Redditor clarified in the comments that this is his neighbor's lawn, they do not reside in apartments, and they are under a homeowners association.
Commenters had a few explanations for the shocking display.
"Sprinklers on a timer, homeowners too lazy to modify," one suggested.
Another user blamed the sprinklers, which are "supposed to have rain sensors so either they're too cheap to install one with rain sensors or the rain sensors are broken."
Whether the sprinklers need an upgrade or the homeowner just doesn't care, watering in the rain is a waste of water.
According to WaterSense, "the average American family uses 320 gallons of water per day ... Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day."
While much of this number is necessary, there are still ways we can reduce excess water usage.
The Dollar Energy Fund lists several ways to reduce outdoor water use, such as checking for and fixing leaks, using a rain barrel to collect water, and following a recommended lawn-watering schedule. You can also explore our guide to wasting less water outdoors and in the home.
Ditching your monoculture lawn altogether will also reduce water and save you money on your bill. Lawn Love says that "a lawn made up of drought-tolerant grass can save as much as 25% on water use, and converting to native plants can save up to 60%."
Want to learn more about the many benefits of a native plant lawn? Check out our guide to upgrading your yard.
The comments were filled with users in similar situations.
"Was just shaking my head at my neighbors this morning for this, as it was pouring this morning and they're sprinklers we're [sic] all going," the user wrote. "Our water is expensive here too. Waste of both money and water!"
"I see it all the time & it's always infuriating. Same when the spray is aimed at the sidewalk or the street. Nothing wastes more water than lawn irrigation," another user commented.
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