Californians Are Spraying Their Lawns Green To Disguise Drought Effect

 As California is mired by its fourth year of drought, one industry has sprouted up from the seemingly endless dry spell.In an effort to brighten up dry and unsightly lawns, some landscapers have been offering the innovative solution of painting lawns green.California recently announced sweeping statewide water restrictions for the first time in history to combat the region's devastating drought - the worst since records began.

But the severe water shortage has not stopped residents from wanting to keep gardens looking fresh, leading to a surge in companies using the environmentally friendly turf dyes.

Jim Power, a 45-year-old mortgage broker whose business imploded in 2007, told theLA Times'I was up real late one night watching 'Nightline and there was a story about a guy in New York that was painting lawns, and I said, 'What a great idea.''He said up the company LawnLift and is now a leading provider of lawn paint for homeowners, hoteliers, wedding planners and others who want to change the look oftheir drought-stricken grass.

The industry once limited to athletic fields and golf courses is now booming as officials look to stamp out any non-essential use of water.Residents across California have been demolishing pools, cutting back on showers and letting their lawns turn brownafter experts estimated that there will be less than a year's worth of drinking water left in the state's reservoirs by the end of 2015.The drought has forced ski resorts to close down, and a photograph of children playing where a river once stood is an ominous beacon of change ahead as California orders water conservation.Last month, Governor Jerry Brown ordered communities to cut water use by 25 per cent by early next year.Beverly Hills, 16 kilometres west of downtown Los Angeles, has since invokedits highest state of water emergency, theGlobe and Mailreports.This has led to them shutting off all fountains that don't use recycled water, a ban on filling new swimming pools and a prohibition on restaurants giving patrons aglass of water, unless they ask for one.

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