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

June 17, 2009

Green Grass Gauge watering device available

With temperatures on the rise, the amount of water many homeowners use on their lawns and gardens is also increasing.

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

These small, amber-acrylic devices are easy to use, can prevent overwatering and can help shave a few dollars off the monthly water bill. Every Friday from now until October, weekly watering recommendations are provided on EWEB’s Web site as well as during the evening weather broadcasts on television stations KMTR, KVAL and KEZI. This year, using the Green Grass Gauge is easier than ever. Customers can sign up for a weekly e-mail that delivers the watering recommendation for the next week, making irrigation a snap. Sign up today.

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 secret to the Green Grass Gauge’s success is in its simplicity,” says Jill Hoyenga, the EWEB Water Services Management Supervisor who spearheaded the program. Customers seem to agree. Randy and Susan Duke are among them.

They purchased their property in 2004, on a shady back lane in the Ferry Street Bridge area. While the couple was thrilled with the spaciousness of their mature yard, they were dismayed by the volume of water it consumed.

A combination of an irrigation system tune-up, the use of the Green Grass Gauge, working the soil and mulching, reduced their outdoor peak water usage by 24,000 gallons — 43 percent — and earned them status as 2008 WaterWise Award winners.

The Green Grass Gauge is free. Pick one up at: Down to Earth, 532 Olive St. and 2498 Willamette; Gray’s Garden Centers, 777 W. Sixth Ave. and 4441 Main St. (Springfield); The Home Depot, 808 Seneca Road and 1045 Green Acres Road; Jerry’s Home Improvement Centers, 2600 Highway 99N and 2525 Olympic St. (Springfield); Eugene True Value Hardware, 2825 Willamette St.; Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, 3595 W. 11th Ave.; KVAL, 4575 Blanton Road; KMTR, 3825 International Court (Springfield); and KEZI, 2975 Chad Drive.