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Over the last decade, more than 20 taxpayer-funded artificial turf fields in San Diego County have fallen apart before their warranties expired.

Public records show that schools throughout San Diego County have paid FieldTurf more than $33 million, but some of the Canadian company’s fields that were supposed to last eight years or more fell apart after only a couple years of normal use.

FieldTurf gave schools with failing products the option of choosing a free replacement field with the same turf material that fell apart, or paying $25,000 to $300,000 more to upgrade to a sturdier turf.

Some public agencies paid up, even though their first field was still under warranty. Others chose a free replacement.

In this week’s San Diego Explained, NBC 7 San Diego’s Monica Dean and Voice of San Diego’s Ashly McGlone detail how both the turf company and local schools have been handling the problem.

Kinsee Morlan

Kinsee Morlan was formerly the Engagement Editor at Voice of San Diego and author of the Culture...

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