Are there ways to improve water penetration?
Growing grass itself helps, through organic additions that loosen tight soils. Wetting-agent sprays, such as Aqua-Gro, reduce surface tension, often enabling water to seep through thatch and into tight soils more readily. Aerification opens channels in compacted lawns. In preparing a new seedbed, amendments such as ground limestone and gypsum can be included to loosen tight or slaking soils.