City of Austin:

“In a typical year, from May 1 through September 30, a watering schedule is mandatory for single-family customers. During this time, outdoor irrigation is not allowed between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm, except when watering with a hand-held hose or bucket. This mandatory watering schedule is subject to change during any given year based on drought triggers, other weather conditions, or emergency orders.”
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/conservation/water_when.htm

Rebirth of the Manual Mower:

“Since World War II, the gas-powered, walk-behind lawn mower has been a staple in garages across the country. However, the manual lawn mower is making a quiet comeback. In the 1980s, about 50,000 manual lawn mowers were sold each year in the U.S. Today's eco-friendly culture has lead to the rebirth of the lawn mower. In 2006, homeowners purchased an estimated 350,000 manual lawn mowers.”
http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-mowing-mowers/lawn-mowing-an-american-pastime-10307.php

What’s wrong with that fertilizer?

“Chemical fertilizers provide an "empty" type of food directly to the plants. This is like the empty calories we get from eating pure refined sugar. Microbes provide full service to the plants. They decompose dead plant and animal residues to humus; combine nitrogen and carbon to prevent nutrient loss; suppress disease; produce plant growth regulators; develop soil structure, tilth, and water penetration/retention; clean up chemical residues; shift soil pH toward neutral; retrieve nutrients from distant parts of the soil; decompose thatch; and control nitrogen supply to the plants according to need. Besides that, if a chemical fertilizer contains NPK of 10-10-10, nobody knows what the 70% of unlisted stuff is in the chemical bag that is not fertilizer.”
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2004020829016580.html

 

Top 10 users from the Austin Water Utility

As Austin struggles with drought, some homeowners use more than their share of water.

“The American-Statesman requested the lists of top 10 users from the utility. As the city endures nearly two years of drought and the population continues to grow, authorities have asked homeowners to cut back on water use. On average, an Austin household uses about 8,500 gallons of water a month — more in hot months, less in cool ones.
Some of the users on the list acknowledged they used copious amounts of water to support new lawns or to improve the curb appeal of a house for sale”
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/17/0817water.html