Water Dept. Urges No Pesticides on Lawns

Westford, Mass. is promoting healthy lawns without resorting to pesticides.

The Westford, Mass. Water Department and city mayor, Elaine Major, are promoting alternatives to pesticide for lawn care. With $10,000 grant funding from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and its Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), the city will present workshops that teach how to adopt an integrated pest management plan that uses chemicals as a last resort.

The idea is to build healthy soils and their beneficial microorganisms. Pesticide use may kill such beneficial organisms. The water department will be distributing brochures to residents with simple steps for organic lawn care, like using compost instead of fertilizers with pesticides mixed in.