SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The median turf along Ski Run Boulevard is dying, and South Tahoe Now wanted to find out why. California Assembly Bill 1572 (AB1572) was passed in the fall of 2023 and will be phased in beginning Jan. 1, 2027. AB1572 prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate non-functional turf on commercial, industrial and institutional properties in California.

There was already a temporary ban enacted during the last drought, and this new legislation replaces that ban and makes it permanent.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is subject to AB1572, and in efforts to plan for compliance, city crews have evaluated areas of non-functional turf on city property. The turf will be allowed to die and it will be replaced with native landscaping.

Irrigation of the turf in narrow curbside areas along Ski Run Blvd has been shut off in preparation for replacement, according to Assistant City Manager Hilary Roverud.

Potable water is defined as water that is suitable for human consumption (i.e., water that can be used for drinking or cooking). The term implies that the water is drinkable as well as safe. Non-potable water is the opposite – water that has not been treated to drinking water standards and is not safe for human consumption. It can be used for various non-drinking purposes like irrigation, industrial processes, or toilet flushing, but it is crucial to avoid ingesting it. In some areas, trucks are used to transport water for spraying at construction sites and landscaping and are marked “non-potable.”

What is non-functional and functional turf?

South Tahoe Public Utility District has a webpage dedicated to AB1572 (see here).

Non-functional turf is ornamental grass not used for recreation, civic and/or other community events. It includes turf irrigated for aesthetics, such as street medians and parking lots. 

Functional turf can include sports fields, parks, or other turf used for recreation, such as golf courses, playgrounds, picnic grounds, or pet exercise areas.

The irrigation ban applies to commercial and municipal properties, including those below, but not limited to:  

  • City and county land
  • Educational institutions
  • Government, public agency buildings
  • Grocery and retail stores
  • Homeowner association-owned properties and common interest developments
  • Hospitals
  • Office, warehouse, and industrial buildings
  • Religious institutions
  • Restaurants