For More Information Contact:
Jill Hoyenga, 984-4706
Eugene Water & Electric Board

June 19, 2008

Green Grass Gauge watering device available

It looks like summer weather has finally arrived in the Willamette Valley. As temperatures rise, so does the amount of water many homeowners use on their lawns and gardens.

To help customers water more efficiently, the Eugene Water & Electric Board is once again offering the Green Grass Gauge free at local home and garden centers and other locations.

These small, yellow-acrylic devices are easy to use, can prevent overwatering and can help you shave a few dollars off our monthly bill. Every Friday from now until October, weekly watering recommendations are provided on EWEB’s web site as well during the evening weather broadcasts on television stations KMTR, KVAL and KEZI. This year, EWEB also is offering to send customers a weekly e-mail with the number and a watering tip.

The weekly watering number tells you how much to water in the coming week, based on the previous week’s weather patterns. EWEB recommends that you split up your watering over two or three days.

The Green Grass Gauge is used to calculate how long you need to water. Simply set it in your lawn (pick a spot that seems to get an “average” amount of water), turn on the sprinklers and then turn them off when the gauge fills to the proper water level. Over time, you’ll get a sense of how long it takes to apply a set amount of water on your lawn without even putting the gauge in your lawn.

The free gauges are available in Eugene and Springfield at Down to Earth, Gray’s Garden Centers, EWEB, Home Depot, Jerry’s Home Improvement Centers, Eugene True Value Hardware, and television stations KEZI, KVAL and KMTR.

Read more about the Green Grass Gauge and how to receive the weekly watering number e-mail message.