One suggestion for water-wise landscaping offered by Gold Country Media reporter Jonathan Brines is to replace “real lawn with a polyethylene turf.” Brines then focuses on NewGrass artificial lawn, which has blades of 100 percent polyethylene.

Brines points out that NewGrass Rye and Fescue products “mimic natural grass thatching” and that it “feels real, will never need to be watered, holds up in the heat or cold and is totally recyclable. The pad is 90-percent-soy based which is natural and supports farmers.”

Brines interviewed NewGrass CEO Greg Goehner for the article after learning about the five-year-old company during an online search, reviewing its website and watching a video of an episode of Bob Vila, the nationally syndicated TV home renovation and improvement show, that featured a NewGrass installation.

NewGrass is sold and installed internationally only through a network of qualified, properly licensed representatives, such as NewGrass Landscape & Design, which serves the same communities as does Gold Country Media.

Homes will be included in four newspapers that Gold Country Media publishes and distributes in the Sacramento area – specifically Roseville, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills and Folsom. The magazine is scheduled for publication the week of June 17.

The article notes that three years of drought in Northern California have forced cities such as Folsom and Roseville, which depend on water from Folsom Lake, to impose 20-percent conservation reductions on their residents.

Some cities, including Sacramento, have imposed fines and now restrict watering to certain days of the week. Other cities, such as Roseville, offer rebates for removing and replacing water-thirsty sod grass and plants that are not drought-tolerant. Roseville’s Cash for Grass program pays homeowners $1 for every square foot of lawn they convert to water-smart landscaping, including artificial grass.

Sadly, Brines also notes that despite the reported impacts of global warming, ongoing drought conditions and increasing water demands from a growing population, Californians have an addiction to water.

“It’s important to NewGrass that the artificial grass industry grows responsibly and that consumers can expect professionalism from dealers and installers no matter where they live or do business,” said NewGrass President Greg Goehner.

“This is going to be especially important as more cities impose water restrictions and more of them offer rebates for synthetic lawn use, and a lot of fly-by-night companies will try to take advantage of consumers as a result,” Goehner said.

NewGrass is sold and installed internationally only through a network of qualified, properly licensed representatives. All NewGrass representatives are properly licensed, insured and bonded, based on the regulatory or legal entities where they do business, Goehner said.

California, for example, requires any contractor doing an artificial grass installation totaling $500 or more to be state-licensed. (The $500 cost includes the grass, labor and installation materials.) NewGrass Landscape & Design holds California Contractors License # 924382, for example.

The fake grass industry, like most home improvement or service industries, does not have agreed standards, or national or state guidelines that industry participants must meet or adhere to. But just as consumers evaluate a landscaper or carpenter before hiring them, they should also follow some good common-sense guidelines when it comes to hiring a synthetic lawn company, Goehner said.

The Association of Synthetic Grass Installers lists six benchmarks that any professional installer should meet. “NewGrass stands firmly behind these criteria,” Goehner said. According to the ASGI’s advice, a reputable synthetic grass company or installer should:

1. Provide proof of any required licenses, insurance and bonds.
2. Prove their experience with your type of project and site conditions.
3. Be on the job site before, during and after the installation is done, whether they do the work themselves or hire a sub-contractor to do it, and they should handle all unexpected changes or modifications promptly.
4. Provide you a complete and easy-to-understand set of all necessary documents, including change orders, in a timely manner.
5. Be trained professionals who know their products and their installation systems using best-business practices and be able to provide several customer referrals.
6. Be courteous, communicate clearly from start to finish, and give you a finished project that meets or exceeds your expectations.

“Year after year people pour money and time into their lawns, and every year our water rates go up, and we get water restrictions, and then we have a dry year, and all of that money and all of that time they’ve invested in that lawn is gone, wasted,” said Bart Stoneback, owner of Mile High Synthetic Turf, Colorado’s authorized NewGrass distributor.

Water rates in metropolitan Denver have increased an average of 40 percent a year the past three years, Stoneback said. In Denver, water restrictions meanwhile prohibit lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and limit watering during other times to three days a week.

The newly redesigned and refocused Mile High Marketplace, formerly Mile High Flea Market, in Henderson, has opted for 5,000 square feet of NewGrass Premium Rye in its new farmer’s market.

NewGrass will also be the playing surface for the bocce ball courts the Marketplace is installing for its upcoming Italian Festival, and the facility plans to install up to 10,000 square feet of NewGrass as landscaping around its special events area, Stoneback said.

At least a dozen backyards from Erie to Boulder to Castle Rock now enjoy NewGrass artificial turf. So does a balcony deck outside an apartment on Blake Street in “LoDo,” the historic and rejuvenated Lower Downtown neighborhood.

“People are just tired of trying to keep their turf grass alive here in Colorado,” Stoneback said.

NewGrass is also increasingly being installed for dog runs along the Front Range, Stoneback said. They average between 300 and 500 square feet.

“People go with synthetic grass for their dogs because it eliminated all of the problems that go with having a place for your dogs to live or play,” Stoneback said. “Sure, you need to wash down NewGrass to avoid odors. But dog droppings are easily scooped up and urine and drain right through. You don’t have dead grass or yellow spots from the urine. You don’t have mud holes or dirt tracked into your house. And it will last for years.”

Experienced turf landscapers as well as veteran synthetic grass installation companies have joined the NewGrass team in 10 states reaching from California to South Carolina to New York.

Their situations may vary, but two reasons new partners continually cite for joining NewGrass are the way NewGrass supports its distributors and the company’s dedication to becoming a premier brand in the artificial turf industry, and no simply be another discount-priced retailer.

“The team at NewGrass has provided web site design and great marketing materials, including an entire trade show display on short notice, so that’s one big way they’ve supported me,” said Bart Stoneback, owner of Mile High Synthetic Turf, in Colorado, a veteran in the fake grass business and now an authorized NewGrass distributor. “But they also are incredibly committed to always having products in stock and delivered on time, and that’s huge in this business.”

“I knew when I chose to sell NewGrass that it wasn’t the least expensive grass on the market,” said Larry Reno, district manager for NewGrass Landscape & Design, in California. “But they are a top act in this game. They’re in it for the long haul and are determined to bring value to the name through customer service and quality products. That’s worth plenty.”

Stoneback, Reno and other NewGrass representatives were first drawn to NewGrass through its strong and robust Internet presence and a marketing prowess that has garnered the company national television and newspaper attention. As a result, NewGrass synthetic grass is today represented by an efficient, committed and growing distribution network of landscapers and lawn-service professionals in the following states:

• Arizona (four authorized representatives)
• California (five authorized representatives)
• Colorado
• Florida
• New York (two authorized representatives)
• North Carolina
• New Mexico
• South Carolina (two authorized representatives)
• Texas (three authorized representatives)
• Washington

NewGrass®, the premier artificial grass brand for an array of typical landscaping applications, is also becoming the perfect answer to landscaping for townhomes, terraces, balconies and rooftops makeovers, says NewGrass president Greg Goehner.

“NewGrass® is proving it truly does offer the best available products for any urban landscape project,” Goehner says. “You can have a natural looking and water-saving piece of green even if you live in condo or a townhome, or if your only outdoor piece of real estate is your balcony.”

NewGrass® is 100% eco-friendly. Its blades are 100% polyethylene and lead-safe, and its backing is bio-based. It’s the artificial grass solution when being water-wise and eco-friendly are as important as having more green lawn to enjoy year-round.

With the increase in interest for NewGrass in small urban landscapes on hard surfaces, such as patios, terraces and balconies, NewGrass® has teamed with AirField Systems to offer customers AirDrain – the best choice for installing artificial turf grass on hard surfaces.

“We’ve looked for a long time for the right product to make NewGrass® drain better and look better over the long term on concrete or any other hard surface, and AirDrain is that solution,” Goehner says.

AirDrain is an innovative, ecologically sound solution for porous paving, drainage and erosion control on surfaces such as concrete. It’s a super-strong, highly versatile, lightweight and easily installed drainage system made from an environmentally friendly combination of polypropylene and polyethylene.

Another key reason NewGrass® can turn a balcony or terrace into a small green oasis is because it water drains through it at a rate of 30 inches per hour. Even wet, NewGrass® is safe for standard commercial and residential construction weight-bearing loads construction.

“As water conservation and being eco-conscious become even more important while people strive to keep their homes and business properties beautiful and enjoyable, NewGrass is excited about this new alliance,” said Greg Goehner, president of NewGrass artificial lawns.

“Finding a truly compatible and green solution for installing our products on concrete and any other hard surface opens new possibilities for homeowners and commercial property owners with non-traditional or challenging landscaping requirements,” Goehner said.

AirDrain is an innovative, ecologically sound solution for porous paving, drainage and erosion control on surfaces such as concrete. It’s a super-strong, highly versatile, lightweight and easily installed drainage system made from an environmentally friendly combination of polypropylene and polyethylene.

AirDrain’s interlocking, 1-inch-tall “honeycomb” design makes it the only geocell that incorporates a patented latching mechanism.

“This feature of AirDrain give it great latitude for expansion and contraction in all kinds of climates, which makes it a great compliment to NewGrass,” Goehner said.

And, its light weight helps keeps cost down. Nearly 100,000 square feet of AirDrain can be shipped in one trailer, according to the manufacturer.

AirDrain contains significant portions of post consumer recycled content, is recycleable. And is manufactured in the United States.

An environmentally conscious product, AirDrain also adds to a project’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) point certification. It can qualify in as many as 15 different credit categories under Site Sustainability, Water Efficiency, and Materials and Resources.

AirDrain has found wide acceptance as the perfect drainage solution over hard surfaces for grass and gravel paving, artificial and natural turf sports fields, golf greens, bunkers, tee boxes and cart paths, and even green roofing.

The public awareness campaign is another call to homeowners in Southern California that they must be more diligent in finding ways to reduce water consumption, said Paul Parker, owner of San Diego backyard Adventures, an authorized supplier of NewGrass synthetic lawn.

NewGrass® synthetic lawn requires no watering. And because it eliminates the need for lawn pesticides and fertilizers, NewGrass® artificial grass also helps protects ground water and storm drainage systems.

The San Diego County Water Authority has begun distributing 1.75 million door hangers that have a checklist of wasteful yard-watering practices on one side and a list of recommended tips that can save thousands of gallons of water on the other.

Although the water authority’s door-hanger campaign targets wasteful watering of natural turf grass and other landscaping, waterless grasses such as NewGrass® have been recognized as a valid water-conservation measure by many California water agencies.

An estimated 750 square feet of fake grass can conserve about 22,000 gallons of water per year. California officials estimate up to 70% of a family’s water use is for landscaping. Depending on other landscaping, that much water can be saved with an artificial lawn.

“The bottom line is that an artificial turf cuts water consumption, while also providing an environmentally friendly and safe lawn for the family and for pets,” said Fred Espinosa, whose Smartscapes of San Diego is another authorized NewGrass distributor.

San Diego is not alone in its concerns over water, of course. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a drought state of emergency Feb. 27, and called upon all urban Californians to reduce water use by 20 percent or face mandatory cutbacks down the road.

Larry Reno of NewGrass Landscape & Design, with authorized NewGrass installation teams in both San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, said residents in both parts of the state are increasingly concerned about how to conserve water.

“Even in today’s very tough economic times, people are realizing something has to give when it comes to having a safe, green lawn and saving water,” Reno said. “The rebate programs can sure help.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, along with the Family of Southern California Water Agencies, currently offers rebates of 30 cents for each square foot of artificial grass that’s installed in either new construction or to replace existing natural turf grass.

Some Southern California cities meanwhile directly issue rebates for synthetic grass directly, rather than having residents apply to the Water District. These include Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Compton, Fullerton, Glendale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Fernando, San Marino, Santa Monica and Torrance.

Because home irrigation systems usually operate in the early morning or late evening, many homeowners may not notice problems or malfunctions in their own irrigation systems, the San Diego water agency said.

“These door hangers are a positive means for neighbors to help neighbors save water,” said Maureen Stapleton, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority. “It gives residents a convenient way to alert their neighbors to a potential outdoor water wasting problem, such as a leaking sprinkler or an irrigation system left on during a rainstorm.”

Mandatory conservation is still very likely this year because 2009 follows two critically dry years in California, the authority said. Also, 2009 continues to receive below-normal rainfall and snow pack while severe regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from the State Water project – the source of about 30 percent of San Diego County’s water supply last year – also remain in effect.

To get information about local drought ordinances, conservation tips, rebates and water-saving information are available at www.20gallonchallenge.com.

That’s the position NewGrass eco-friendly synthetic lawn and its distributors took several months ago when they switched to an environmentally safe, silicon-based infill.

NewGrass and New York City officials concede the jury remains out on the degree of risk from lead exposure to controversial crumb rubber infill (it’s made from recycled tires). But there’s another health concern that prompted New York City to stop using the stuff. City health officials believe crumb rubber could be unsafe when it heats up on hot days.

Like NewGrass and its authorized distributors in the New York area, New York City has chosen that going forward, it would rather be safe than sorry.

Dandelion Putting Greens, in Hopewell Junction, installs NewGrass® synthetic lawns using GreenFill, an environmentally friendly infill alternative, says company owner Frank Vitritti.

The debate over crumb rubber infill is being waged among environmental groups, concerned parent organizations, the rubber industry and some members of the synthetic grass industry.

“We’d rather err on the side of being responsible when it comes to public health,” Vitritti said.
New York City has no plans to remove existing crumb rubber in its 95 existing fields. One exception is a city soccer field that was closed in December when tests found elevated levels of lead.

“We believe it’s most likely some external contamination,” Assistant Health Commissioner Nancy Clark told the New York Daily News.

Activists and some legislators, however, have called the New York City fields potentially toxic and demanded removal, at an estimated cost of up to $1 million per field.

First Deputy Parks Commissioner Liam Kavanagh told a City Council panel recently that it will replace crumb rubber as part of the normal 10-year renovation cycle of the city’s fields.

NewGrass® synthetic lawn was pleased to be among the exhibitors at the recent Green California Schools Summit and Exposition in Anaheim. The three-day event was organized by Green Technology, a non-profit initiative that seeks to inform government decisions toward sustainability and provide a forum in which government can communicate with the private sector.

The goal of this summit was to bring together school officials and contractors involved in implementing green building initiatives with businesses that can provide them with products and services. NewGrass, represented by NewGrass Landscape & Design, was proud to be among those businesses.

“We got a great response from the visitors and from the other exhibitors,” said Larry Reno, California District Manager for NewGrass Landscape & Design. “People liked it. They liked that we are lead-safe and don’t use crumb rubber infill. They’d heard about these issues and were wondering about them.”

NewGrass® also participated in a special seminar conducted the top green initiative representatives for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The district operates 1,072 schools, centers and occupational skill centers with more than 694,000 students, and it expects to build a school a month over the next two years.

“In addition to the green initiative and the environmental issues of new construction, they are looking at anything that’s going to save them money in the long run,” Reno said. “NewGrass® is a natural for meeting that challenge wherever they need grass.”

And the money is there for that work. When California voters passed Proposition 1D, they allocated $100 million dollars to help fund the design and construction of energy efficient, healthy school facilities for the California public school system.

“We expect to be a part of the solution of helping California build healthy, sustainable schools,” Reno said.

NewGrass® has always taken seriously its mission to be the artificial grass of choice when being water-wise and eco-friendly are as important as having more green lawn to enjoy year-round. Environmental responsibility was one reason that even before the lead scare NewGrass® stopped selling grass made with nylon blades. Its blades are 100% polyethylene.

From the get-go, NewGrass® wanted a synthetic grass that not only conserves water and reduces lawn maintenance, but is also truly earth-friendly. For example, it wanted NewGrass® to be recyclable. The company knew that nylon was an impediment to having a truly recyclable and bio-degradable product.

That is one of the reasons NewGrass® has blades of 100% polyethylene fiber. Polyethylene is a recyclable product. NewGrass® believes polyethylene also makes a more durable and more attractive fake grass than nylon fibers.

When potentially unhealthy levels of lead dust in some artificial grass playing fields were reported early last summer by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), the federal Centers for Disease Control issued a health advisory. The CDC did not confirm the findings. But it did expand on them.

The CDC stressed, for example, that the New Jersey study “indicated” that potentially unsafe levels of lead dust were found only in athletic fields of fake grass that are old, used frequently and exposed to the weather, because their blades break down into dust as the fibers are worn.

However, the next day, the CDC went further and issued a follow-up statement that underscored the commitment by NewGrass® to environmental responsibility and further validated its choice to use only polyethylene fibers in its artificial grass.

The CDC said the New Jersey studies indicated that nylon or nylon/polyethylene blend fake grass contained “levels of lead that pose a potential public health concern.” On the other hand, the CDC reported that the same tests found that fields made with fake grass of 100% polyethylene fibers – like NewGrass® – “contained very low levels of lead.”

Within weeks, the debate over lead and artificial grass swept the nation and came to a head in California, where several synthetic grass companies were named in a class action suit by a national nonprofit consumer protection group.

Being proactive, NewGrass® asked the California attorney general’s office to test its grass. The state did and determined that NewGrass® 100% polyethylene lawn is “lead safe.”

“We’ve always taken the responsible approach,” said NewGrass President Greg Goehner. “It’s our mission. The fact that poly lawn is lead-safe is not why we chose it in the first place. But it’s indicative of how we do business.”