A neighbor of mine has always had a bright green lawn complete with a sprinkler irrigation system. It is a point of pride for her.

When I asked whether she would consider switching to an artificial grass lawn, a pollinator lawn, or another alternative to traditional lawns, she replied, “No. I’ve always had a grass lawn. I think the state of a lawn can make or break people’s perception of your home.”

My neighbor, like so many suburban homeowners, sees a vibrant lawn as an integral part of her home. But her actions may have more adverse effects on the environment than she thinks.

Grass consumes a lot of water. Recent studies of Long Island’s aquifers show we have less freshwater left than previously thought. Our lawn obsession means Long Islanders use 70% more water than the national average. If that continues, we will speed up the rate of saltwater intrusion and our water could turn salty, rendering many wells unusable.

A major factor is over-pumping. Nassau County pumps about 36% more water during peak sprinkler season — May through September — an average of 254 million gallons per day.

Another culprit is golf. Long Island has some 130 golf courses and clubs. The average 18-hole course consumes 312,000 gallons of water each day — almost 15 billion gallons of water per year.

While moving wells further inland to account for saltwater intrusion into coastal wells could delay the issue, it isn’t a permanent solution. Digging new wells is incredibly expensive. And research suggests that, even if groundwater pumping were to cease entirely across Long Island, it would take generations until saltwater intrusion in the aquifers could be reversed.

It’s easy not to worry about our aquifers day to day. But it’s clear we cannot continue down this path of overconsumption. Efforts to limit water use through nontraditional lawns and limiting lawn irrigation do help, but unless the entire Island adopts strict conservation measures, the danger of saltwater intrusion creeps closer to the aquifers every day.

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