Why not think clever. Start mandating water preservation. Stop using drinking water to flush toilets. Involve grey water and maybe use a solar panel dehumidifier system to pull water out of thin air.

I think having more shrubs and more native plants would be beneficial

I’m surprised they took that long. A lot of cities have required that earlier unless you use reclaimated water.

Why ban natural grass? Would putting people on a water meter not accomplish the same thing? Being on a water meter would, theoretically, reduce waste, but at the same time allows one to maintain some of their liberty.