It's tricky in a transitional zone. One week of extreme heat and dry weather can erase a lawn that survived a decade. For ~7500 sqft of lawn, you can get by wit

It's tricky in a transitional zone. One week of extreme heat and dry weather can erase a lawn that survived a decade. For ~7500 sqft of lawn, you can get by with about 1500 gallons for each of three days and have a good chance of surviving that event. I find that most of the time, it's not the heat or dry that's killing lawns, it's disease and pests. If I was foolish enough to water fescue regularly in the summer heat, I would lose it to dollar spot or brown patch. I've been completely wrecked by web worm while on vacation. I have a new residence with a larger lot and plan to switch away from fescue once I've lived here a few seasons. I'm also convinced the USDA 2012 hardiness zone map is overdue for an update. Regardless, I'm not going back to a high maintenance lawn.