Special grass planted on ovals

DROUGHT-tolerant grass has been planted on 20 sporting ovals across Greater Dandenong, the council has revealed.
With the threat of Stage 4 water restrictions and the already tight restrictions of Stage 3, maintaining playable sporting grounds has become a major challenge for the City of Greater Dandenong. But the council is now installing drought-tolerant grass on sporting ovals, which will require substantially less water to keep alive.
In a public statement, the council said the 20 ovals it had upgraded to drought-resistant would help save 4 million litres of water a week – the equivalent of more than 33,000 showers.
In line with its approach to sporting ovals, the council is upgrading gardens with native plants, known for their tolerance to dry conditions.
“This has seen a reduction in the planting of annuals by 40 per cent and recycled water is used on garden beds saving 1.4 million litres per annum, equivalent to 8 665 showers,” the council said.
However, city mayor Youhorn Chea urged residents to continue cutting back on their water usage.
“Every day, there are many simple things we can do around the house to save water, money and help the environment,” he said.
The mayor even provided a list of water-saving tips for Greater Dandenong residents:
CHECK for leaks in taps, pipes and dishwasher hoses. One leaking tap can waste more than 2000 litres a month.
MICROWAVE, steam or use a pressure cooker to cook vegetables.
INSTALL water-efficient taps or tap aerators.
PUT a plug in the sink when you wash your hands.
WAIT until you have a full load in your dishwasher before using it.
RINSE dishes in a plugged sink rather than under a running tap.
DON’T leave the tap running while you brush your teeth.
INSTALL one of the latest 3-star-AAA-rated showerheads. These can save about 10 litres of water per minute.