Wilmington, N.C., residents looking to spruce up their gardens for spring could find things a bit more costly after July 1.
A new state regulation would require new irrigation systems tied to municipal or public water supplies to have their own meters. The rule is part of an effort to conserve water in light of recent droughts.
"Irrigation tied into a separate meter would be new charges as of July 1. And collectively those charges are about $3,800," Carey Disney Ricks, with the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, said.
Installing a new sprinkler system becomes a financial headache when considering a system alone costs an average of $2,500, according to Motts Landscaping in New Hanover County.
In addition, utilities can also charge higher meter fees.
"Perhaps there's a way to reduce the amount of water that they use or they can institute some sort of alternative or methods for either landscaping or irrigating," Ricks said.
The North Carolina Division of Water Resources hopes the rule will protect the state's water supply by limiting the amount of time people use their sprinklers.
While the rule is catching people by surprise, many are eager to conserve water.
"I think that it's probably been coming. And I think that having been in a drought recently, it may be long overdue," said Wilmington resident Tracy Robison.
Steve Mott of Mott's Landscaping said some people are using a lot more water than necessary when watering yards.
"I think it's a good idea. Right now half of all the water used in New Hanover County goes to water the lawns," Mott
The regulation will only affect new sprinkler systems, not ones that are already installed.