Salt Lake City-Hey, Utah, now that the governor has declared a state of emergency due to an "abnormal" drought, is it time to replace your green lawn with artificial grass to save water? 

Approximately 60% of the residential water supply in Utah is used to grow our green lawns. 

KSL Greenhouse Show and USU Extension's Taun Beddes, along with Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic, explained the pros and cons behind the fake grass that we may need to transition to when we are caught in a drought.

The price of artificial grass is usually $5.50 to $18.75 per square foot.

Dave is unwilling to spend so much money on fake greens.

"They do this all over Arizona, I just came back from Arizona. When I compare it to my hometown of Arizona, Utah seems to be behind the times. This kind of artificial turf is everywhere [in Arizona] entering New houses, parking lots and backyards. What do you think of Utah, are we behind the times?" Debbie asked.

"In terms of the work we do in terms of water conservation, we are usually 15 to 20 years behind cities like Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas," Bedes said.

"I didn't realize that this is not the case in most parts of Utah, but in Caseville, we have a secondary water supply," Dave said. "Is secondary water common in Utah?"

"This is. Many newer areas that have just been developed don't have secondary water," Bedes said. 

"What are the advantages of fake turf, Tauen, what are the disadvantages of fake turf?" Debbie asked.

"The good thing is that there is no watering. You may need to rinse with a hose every once in a while to remove dust... But there is actually no water, and the technology has improved a lot, you can play on it. It has cushions, see It looks almost like turf.

“More and more people are worried that because artificial turf is made of plastic and has undergone certain treatments to keep it flexible and soft, they really don’t want their children to use it because it may release chemicals. "Beds said.

Beddes also warned that artificial turf can become very hot in the summer sun.

"In Phoenix, it's really hot in summer, because it's too hot, so you can't play," he said.

"The reason the grass stays cool is because it actually evaporates water... I don’t know why someone plays at 115 degrees, but if you expose your bare skin to it, it may actually Causes you to bubble," he said.

Debbie asked Dave what his best argument against replacing natural turf with artificial grass.

"I don't have a trolley full of cash. I will make it simple and too expensive," he said.

Then Debbie presented her argument for installing the turf.

"Utah, you look like it was in the 1970s. The parking lot, the front yard and the back yard are all with plush grass. Hey, listen, for me, fake grass makes life a lot easier. I'm about placing fake grass. The argument-I want to put the cost on hold, Dave, I totally disagree with you. I think it is worth it for all the water resources saved.

"Now we are in a drought emergency, and there is still time for me to trim my backyard for the rest of this summer and make sure it stays watered," she said.

Wild weather: Utah is in an "exceptional" drought

Governor Cox declared a state of emergency for Utah drought

Dave & Dujanovic can be heard from 9 am to noon on weekdays. On KSL News Radio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, Apple Podcasts and Google Play.