Non-native grasses such as St Augustine from the West Indies, Bahia from Brazil and Bermuda from Africa, suck huge volumes of water from aquifers and require excessive amounts of fertilizer and pesticides to look their best. Homeowners, lawn care services, golf courses and city parks often apply more then 10 times the fertilizer and pesticides per acre as used by a farm. Nitrates from fertilizers seeping into the aquifers have caused once pristine springs to have their nitrate levels increase 500%. Nitrates in water can interfere with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and can cause Blue Baby Syndrome. 10 milligrams or about two teaspoons of nitrate fertilizer in a liter of water make it dangerous to drink. Levels even lower have been linked to bladder cancer in women.