Couple Paints American Flag On Brown Lawn As San Jose Forces Water Cutbacks During Drought
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- San Jose is forcing its residents to cut back on water use during the drought, so one couple found a patriotic solution to their ugly brown lawn by painting an American flag on it.
Claudia Decker and her husband stopped watering their lawn in January. Tired of looking at the patchy turf and dirt, they wanted to increase their curb appeal.
"People are painting their lawns green because of the drought," Decker told KPIX 5.
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Instead of green, the couple painted an American flag on the lawn, in honor of Flag Day. The flag even looks like it has a little Santa Clara Valley breeze rippling through it, and is accurately measured.
"My husband went along and sprayed the edge, and that was it. We measured 21-inches wide, and 13 stripes, 50 stars," Decker said.
It took 15 cans of spray paint, and a day's worth of work to complete the flag, and neighbors are impressed.
"They have asked how to do it. They said, 'are you going to do it for our lawn, can you maybe come over and show us?" Decker said.
The Deckers say the flag should last at least through the Fourth of July.
San Jose has put some of the toughest water conservation laws into place. Each home is now assigned a certain amount of water to use. That amount is 30 percent less than the homeowners used in 2013. If they go over that amount and the surcharges start racking up. Water cops will be on the lookout for violators and multiple violators will face $500 fines.
