File this one in the Irony category: a Sacramento couple recently received a citation from the city's Code Enforcement Department. The reason? They stopped watering their front lawn and let it turn brown and die. No, they weren't being negligent - not intentionally anyway - but rather trying to conserve water after Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger declared a statewide drought in early June.

Neighbors complained that homeowners Anne Hartridge and Matt George were in violation of a city code that maintains front lawns "shall be irrigated, landscaped and maintained." The incident occurred around the same time a local newspaper reported that Sacramento's per capita water usage is among the highest in the world, while an audit recently revealed that of more than 100,000 water meters the city mus install to to comply with state law, over 5,000 have been lost or misplaced.

"In order to make the lawn go, I would have had to keep watering it intensely, and since the drought was declared, I decided that wasn't a good idea," said Hartridge. "Honestly, I think there's a disconnect within the city about priorities."

"On one hand they're mislaying their water meters, and on the other hand they going out and putting enforcement on people who don't have green lawns," Hartridge said. "And there's water running down the gutters of my neighborhood every day."

Water conservation is not the only eco-friendly habit practiced by Hartridge and George. They have installed solar panels and energy-efficient appliances in their home, use a clothesline instead of a dryer and bike whenever possible - in fact they only bought a vehicle (a Prius) four years ago due to a medical necessity in their family.Their attempt to further practice environmental stewardship can hardly be questioned, yet their efforts are being rewarded with punishment - a $746 fine is next if they fail to comply with the city's orders.

Who do you think was in the wrong in this case - the city or the homeowners?

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