The grass this summer will be sort of green — just like it has from May through October for years — at East Union Cemetery.

The fact it will be partially green has nothing to do with ignoring a state mandate that goes into effect June 10 barring the irrigation of non-essential turf.

Nor does the fact it will be yellow in spots or even brown have anything to do with it not being irrigated.

A unique set of circumstances means the 150-year-old cemetery on the southwest corner of Louise Avenue and Union Road won’t need to comply with the state order for all non-essential turf that isn’t used for recreational purposes such as playing fields, parks, and golf courses or in front of homes not to be irrigated starting in 10 days as California struggles to deal with a deepening drought.

That’s because the state order applies to only potable water. That means water used for drinking such as from the City of Manteca’s system of wells and surface water from the Stanislaus River.

The cemetery taps a high water table of about 150 feet down that has non-potable water heavily laden with nutrients.

The city’s wells drop down to 300 feet or more to reach water of better quality.

Wells such as the one the cemetery operates help prevent nitrates from seeping down lower to potentially reduce the quality of drinking water.

The cemetery uses no municipal water.

As the summer unfolds institutional turf such as at the church across from the cemetery at Louise and Union, non-play areas at schools, in front of other churches, commercial areas, business parks, in front of city hall and landscaped areas such as along Spreckels Avenue among others are barred from being watered and will dry up and die.

Water can be applied to trees in those areas, however, but not onto the turf.

The city is currently working to identify areas that must cease turf watering as well as preparing to warn and — if necessary — cite those that don’t comply. Fines can go as high as $500 per violation under the state mandate.

Even though the cemetery will be irrigated this summer it still won’t be green except in spots.

That’s because of a number of factors.

The 5 acres has a mixture of long-established Bermuda and crabgrass mixed with a winter grass that goes dormant from May to October.

Spots that look like they are not getting watered are dominated by the grass that is green only in the winter.

The sandy soil with little loam plus the hardpan below has meant the crabgrass and Bermuda has become as thick as six inches in spots,

Replacing the grass is not only expensive but it would end up consuming more water.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com