Your automatic irrigation system can waste a lot of water. Households with automatic systems on average use twice as much water outdoors as households that water manually.
Water Times
Watering in the early morning (between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.) saves money and water, while keeping your grass, plants, and trees healthier. Watering during the heat of the day may cause losses of up to 30 percent due to evaporation.
Watering early when the sun is low and winds are calm:
Helps reduce water loss from evaporation due to heat and wind.
Improves soil absorption so water and nutrients get to plant roots, where it is needed most.
Prevent Water Waste
When your sprinkler system sprays faster than your lawn and landscape can absorb, precious water is wasted. Prevent runoff by reducing watering time and increasing frequency, so grass, plants and trees can absorb the water they need without waste.
Check that irrigation emitters are set properly and are not watering unnecessary areas, such as driveways and sidewalks. Also, check for puddles in your lawn. This could indicate a leak in your irrigation system.
Water Drip Tip
Install an inexpensive rain shutoff switch. These money-saving sensors prevent watering in rainy weather and can be retrofitted to almost any system.
Did you know the ACC Water Waste Ordinance prohibits watering during a rain event?
Watering Schedule
Adjust the timer on
your sprinkler system and save up to thousands of gallons of water. Set
your spray sprinklers to run for three, five-minute intervals to let
soil absorb more water than watering for 15 minutes at one time.
Mulch Everything
Ashton Ritchie, a lawn and garden expert, recommends you mulch
everything. "Apply a two to three inch layer of mulch around all plants -
vegetables, shrubs, perennial, flowers. This holds the moisture in
longer for your plants, keeps water-stealing weeds away by blocking
access to sunlight, and directs water down towards the soil, allowing it
to absorb water better."