By Elizabeth Dunbar

Minnesota Public Radio News

Summer water bills that spike and cities that scramble to pump enough groundwater to keep neighborhoods lush and green, even during droughts, are nothing new in the Twin Cities.

But fresh doubts about groundwater supplies are testing long-held assumptions that water is both cheap and plentiful. New technology, more aggressive pricing structures and shifting attitudes are beginning to change how some Minnesotans view and care for their lawns.

“I don’t know that we’re at a point where we can’t have lawns, but as we watch the trends and the water supply and where our water is coming from, we might want to be more careful,” said Dave Leuthe, a water conservation specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.