We are already under that restriction. No outdoor watering at all unless you're pressure washing or applying pesticide or herbicide. Luckily for me, I apply a lot of herbicide. If your lawn was overseeded by a landscaper you can water apparently. Meanwhile has anyone heard of them enforcing these rules?

Their nailing 'em right and left. But for now, it seems it's pretty much in the more upscale neighborhoods. Obviously, those folks can afford the hit more. First time=$500, second=$1000, third=loss of water rights.

I feel your pain - in raleigh, trying to do the same thing. I live on a corner lot and the first 5-6 feet all around the perimeter end up getting driven over and generally destroyed each year. I reseeded on 9/29. Remarkably, even with watering only 1 time I'm seeing some spotty germination. I get to water again tomorrow, so hopefully that will push it over the edge.

Of note - I did spend the extra money on the little pellets that expand when you water them and then hold in moisture.

Funny you should mention those little pellets, bill. I had 2/3 bag of those blue pellets (think it's a combo of recycled newspaper/fert/whatever else) left over from last year and decided to use the bag to get rid of it. Little did I know with the sparingly few watering times available it seemed to work pretty well. I'm getting good germination everywhere now after 1.5 weeks.

Looks like Raleigh is about to get more restrictive even for those who go the new lawn route. Might consider dormant seeding this year.

RALEIGH - Mayor Charles Meeker said Monday that the City Council will consider eliminating all outdoor watering and closing a loophole that has allowed hundreds of people temporarily to water their lawns at will.

Meeker said city staff members are drawing up "Stage 1.5" water restrictions that would prohibit watering with hand-held devices, sprinklers, automatic spray systems and volume drip irrigation systems. The proposal also would end the issuing of $50 permits to residents who put in new lawns. The permits exempt a customer from water restrictions for as long as 45 days.

Oh well...there's always next year.

Wow, that's too bad. I hope you get some rain soon!

Bad news- good advice on the dormant seeding, I think, and hope for a moister Spring.

In the long run.....maybe this will be the "Astro TurfÂ" forum. Water, whether from drought or generally declining sources such as aquifers, etc., is the "sleeper" shortage that is likely to supersede oil.

In the middle term, a step back to consider gray-water systems may be a practical approach. An enormous amount of non-septic water is send to drain in this country on a daily basis. This could be used to water lawns. We have a cistern that used to be employed in this manner.

I think before we get to astroturf we sould explore some of the lower maintenance grasses out there. I used those greenview pellets last year and spread them out over twice the area it suggested and found them to do a good job. This year I'm using straw blankets and actual straw. Even though starting a new lawn from seed is stressful I think it's a fun stress reliever to watch the scattered straw gradually disappear and turn into grass. And I know that is interesting to the neighbors too.

hmmmm...watering with a power washer - dang grass is dirty. :)

My town never has water bans when it's either the next town over or the one next to that who always has them ever year. But usually it's that you can water on an even or odd day depending on your house number.

Apparently we don't use as much water as some folks. I think I'm actually the only person in town with a sprinkler system :D My town just likes to charge us more for the luxury.

It rained in Raleigh last night, what a relief!

I'm in Cary, just outside of Raleigh for those not familiar. We have year-round water restrictions, which means I can only water on certain days. I'm glad I don't live in Raleigh though.

Let's hope for some rain next week...

It may have rained in Raleigh, but I didn't see any of it...and I'm 7 miles down the road. It's been that kind of year. I saw the weather map the other day and the only state that was NOT getting rain from D.C. to Fla and west was NC. Now that's snake-bit, and it's been that way for 5 months.