The new grass on Palo Alto High School’s Quad raises student concerns of possible overwatering.

“Grass is good, but they definitely overwater it,” junior Marco Hernandez said. “They had the sprinklers on for weeks, that’s bad for the drought.”

According to senior Agnes Mar, watering has made school navigation harder.

“When I walk through the Quad, half the time I find myself stepping in puddles of water from the sprinklers,” Mar said.

Overwatering has led to a discussion about alternatives to grass on the Quad.

“I think there could be a discussion about whether grass or turf should be used,” junior Ryan Lee said.

“When I walk through the Quad, half the time I find myself stepping in puddles of water from the sprinklers.”

— Agnes Mar, senior

This overwatering is part of a larger issue of managing the California statewide drought.

“As the western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his emergency drought declaration on Oct. 20.