• 2025-07

Advantages of Artificial Turf - Quick Drainage

Artificial Turf Lawns and Drainage: Debunking the Myths

I am often asked how artificial turf drains. Surprisingly, many people still believe that artificial turf is impermeable.

This is simply not true.

GOBO artificial turf is engineered to drain extremely quickly, often far faster than natural grass or a typical backyard surface. Most turf systems are tested and certified to drain at rates of hundreds of millimeters per hour.

Key Facts:

1. Superior Drainage Rates

Artificial turf systems are certified to have a porosity of >8,000 mm/hour, with some specially engineered products capable of draining at rates exceeding 23,000 mm/hour through optimized system design.

2. Limitations of Natural Turf

While turf is porous to begin with, it faces significant challenges:

● After rain, turf can accumulate water, forming puddles that can render it unusable for hours or even days.

● Once saturated with water, turf will have difficulty draining further, causing surface stormwater runoff and increasing the risk of turf compaction.

● During hot, dry periods, the soil beneath the turf loses porosity, greatly reducing drainage capabilities (restricting water flow).

● Having a skilled and experienced field maintenance team can compensate for these limitations. These experts are knowledgeable and skilled, but in addition to these skills, they also require a high budget to maintain the turf, which unfortunately is not feasible for many fields, rendering the field unusable.

3. Substrate design is critical

Synthetic turf systems use engineered foundations and permeable backings to achieve the following goals:

● Rapid drainage

● Integrated water storage for attenuation and flow control

● Meet Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) standards

If the turf is laid on a solid, impermeable substrate, its performance will be affected, so be sure to follow the correct foundation design.

Understand how artificial turf drains:

In a simulated 100-year storm, this turf system drained instantly, with no surface water accumulation and no downtime.

Insights for Planners, Developers and Municipalities:

● Don’t overlook artificial turf. The right substrate provides unparalleled water management, all-weather playability and year-round usability. This has been proven time and again in a variety of sports and outdoor living applications.

● Not only does artificial turf require no water, it also collects rainwater, dilutes it and stores it for later use, which can support nearby infrastructure that may require water, including natural turf that is too dry.

When sports fields remain open, everyone benefits.