The Loudoun County School Board announced during their June 23th meeting that they have authorized the installation of expensive artificial turf on the stadium fields of the new Woodgrove and Tuscarora high schools, currently under construction.  The Loudoun Times-Mirror quotes Tuscarora athletic director Derek Fenney on his new field, "It will be like having the Taj Mahal.  I'm opening a brand-new facility with the best of the best.  It's a win-win for Loudoun."  That's great, but such a luxury is not exactly a win for Loudoun taxpayers.  Our cost analysis indicates that each artificial turf field will cost taxpayers approximately $596,000 more than a traditional natural grass field.  At a time when Loudoun County faces a severe budget shortfall and schools will start charging students a $100 sports participation fee, this is not a fiscally responsible decision.

Initial Cost of Artificial Turf is High

The initial cost of constructing an artificial turf field is much higher than the cost of constructing a natural grass field.  Costs for both field types vary, and bids have not been submitted yet, but according to industry sources the cost of the average grass field is $3.75 per square foot, while the average artificial turf field costs $10 per square foot.  Assuming the average area of a football field is 80,000 square feet, it would cost $300,000 for a grass field and $800,000 for an artificial turf field.

Maintenance Costs

Natural grass does require more maintenance, but artificial turf is far from maintenance free.  Typical artificial turf maintenance includes grooming, debris removal, sterilization, infill addition and redistribution, repairing seams and other damaged areas.  Because of its heat absorption properties, which can cause dangerously high field temperatures on hot and sunny days, an artificial turf field must be watered before use.  Grass fields require mowing, aeration, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, over-seeding, irrigation and line painting.

Maintenance cost estimates vary widely.  Some sources claim grass costs up to $36,000 more per year, while other sources claim artificial turf can actually be more expensive.  For our cost comparison, we will use a midrange estimate of $20,000 more for grass fields.

Not included is the cost of replacing an artificial turf surface when it has exceeded its useful life of approximately 10 years.  Replacement and disposal (not recyclable) of the old turf runs about $7.15 a square foot, for a total cost of $572,000.

Cost Comparison

Artificial turf companies acknowledge that the initial cost of their product is much higher than natural grass, but they often claim the cost can be recouped through lower maintenance costs.  Such a sales pitch typically exaggerates grass field maintenance costs, understates artificial turf field maintenance costs and flat out ignores other costs.

Often ignored is the cost of financing an artificial turf field.  Constructing an athletic field is a capital expense almost always financed with bonds.  Assuming a 20 year bond at an interest rate of 5%, the extra $500,000 needed to construct an artificial turf field would cost taxpayers approximately $296,000 in interest payments.

The following table compares all costs for both natural grass and artificial turf football fields over the 10 year life expectancy of the artificial turf surface.

Is Artificial Turf "Greener" Than Natural Grass?

The School Board claims that using artificial turf will lower the school system's carbon footprint.  In reality, the opposite is likely true if they account for all carbon emissions from manufacturing to field maintenance.  It is often overlooked that manufacturing artificial turf is an energy-intensive process that emits a considerable amount of carbon dioxide.  Carbon emitting installation processes include:  Transporting several loads of material from the factory (the closest factory we have been able to locate is in Dalton, GA, nearly 600 miles away) to the site in tractor trailers that only get 6 mpg;  and quarrying, transporting and grading the 40,000 cubic feet of crushed stone for the field base.

Grass absorbs carbon dioxide and acts as a carbon sink, neutralizing emissions from mowers and other gas-powered maintenance equipment.  Artificial turf also requires the use of power machines for grooming and cleaning, but does not absorb one ounce of carbon dioxide.

An artificial turf field is impermeable and storm water runoff can be heavy.  The added expense of a dry pond may be required to mitigate environmental impacts.