July 25, 2008:

Athletes at Alta High, Bingham High and Jordan High will have artificial turf on their home football fields this fall. Work crews have taken away the sod at the schools, and have replaced it with a synthetic grass. I spoke with a turf-laying team at Alta High School. They said savings from a decrease in watering will benefit the schools, but the primary reason for the switch was to turn the football fields into multi-use facilities. They say the fields will now be suitable for lacrosse, soccer, marching bands and other activities. It is true that portions of the sod fields got quite rough and uneven after football games that were played in the rain.

Possible disadvantages to using artificial turf include a higher incidence of MRSA infections on abrasions caused by the turf and a possible leaching of heavy metals into the water table.

Related Links:
Artificial Turf (Wikipedia)
Grass Best for Sports Fields (Deseret News: Letter from a reader)
"Parents...helped raise funds" (Jordan School District Newsletter)

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