By Geena Martinez
NewsWest 9
MIDLAND - It's a sign of the times. With no significant amount of rain in sight, the city of Midland is forced to re-think how they operate.
The mark left by the bone-dry summer of 2011 is painfully obvious here in the Basin.
"I just think it's time for us to look a little differently in Midland," Community Services Director, Tina Jauz, said.
Now Midland city officials are doing what they can to look good and save water at the same time.
Jauz said they've picked seven areas in high-traffic places to xeriscape.
"You'll notice its crushed granite where the turf used to be," Jauz said. "There will be more native plants in the flower beds."
The city is working with their contract partners at Alldredge Gardens to also remove dead trees, switch to more efficient irrigation systems and drill wells.
Some of these changes will save the city $20,000 a year, but they have an even bigger goal in mind.
"If we can be successful in drilling wells at two parkland sites, in watering alone, we'll save $100,000 just on those two areas."
Not only is the city of Midland trying to set an example but so are many West Texas residents. In Midland, one homeowner went from brown, dry grass to lush, green grass in just three days.
Fake grass has a life span of 15-20 years saving you hundreds on your water bill.
"Nice thing about it is it looks good all the time and it saves you money in the long run with no water bills and very little maintenance," Thomas Sparks said.
Thomas Sparks with Plush Turf 365 tells NewsWest 9, he's seen a big spike in residents wanting xeriscaping and fake grass.
"95 percent of our business is residential," Sparks said. "We could sell more if we could find enough people interested in installing it and doing a good job."
They've done over 400 homes and businesses just in the last few months and the number is growing.
"I've heard statistics saying that up to 60% of your water bill goes to outside watering and that's what we're trying to cut back on," Sparks said.
With over 1,300 acres of parkland across the city, Jauz said more xeriscaping is in Midland's future and Sparks agrees.
"I definitely see this as a trend," he said. "It's a product of the future, it's environmentally friendly and it makes you look good 365 days a year."
