It's nothing like the "fake grass" of years gone by. In fact, you'd be hard press to know it wasn't real and when it comes to water conservation, you just can't beat it.

Not only does it provide the benefit of water conservation, it also helps to prevent urban runoff that degrades local streams. With nothing to mow, its use also reduces the amount of green waste going into landfills.

To see Irvine's test plot of 2,170 square feet, just head over to Windrow Community Park on East Yale Loop. Hint: It's the area around the flagpoles. 

For more informaton, visit the Conservation section of the Irvine Ranch Water District website at www.irwd.com or call City of Irvine Landscape Maintenance Superintendent Steve Bourke at 949-724-7609.

Apart from the agreement with IRWD to test synthetic turf, the City of Irvine's Landscape Division of Public Works has also begun testing synthetic turf products from multiple vendors. To see pictures of these sites, just go to http://www.cityofirvine.org/depts/pw/landmaintain/default.asp.