A New Jersey business sells green lawns without soaring water bills

A New Jersey businessman saw green in the summer demand for a perfect lawn, and his solution saves water when things get too dry.

Many lawns in the area are dry and brown because of the lack of significant rainfall in recent weeks. But a New Jersey company has a quick fix for turning those yards green.

Watching workers paint the grass on a football field inspired Toms River used car dealer Charlie Koerkel to add to his income by starting a business to dye lawns green. He says demand for his Lawn Smart service has soared because many homeowners consider the average $190 cost is better than the expense of watering their yards.

“I’ve been talking to people that their water bills are two to three hundred dollars a month and six hundred dollars a quarter,” he says. “Your average thousand square foot home uses anywhere from three to five thousand gallons per month to actually irrigate the lawn, which is a lot of drinking water.”

Koerkel says his business has also been boosted by realtors who want to make the yards of foreclosed homes look more attractive to potential homebuyers.