With the promise of hot, dry weather in the forecast, you may be thinking about watering the lawn and garden. If you water your landscape, you probably see a significant increase in your summer water bills. The following tips can help you water less—and more wisely.
Tired of dragging out the hose every day or letting your sprinkler cool off the sidewalk? It might be time for a "sprinkler spruce up."
The typical underground lawn sprinkler system uses about 12 gallons a minute. Most yards are watered for about 75 minutes (900 gallons) each time the program is set to run.
Make every minute count.
Before you ramp up your watering efforts, spruce up your sprinkler system by remembering four simple steps: inspect, connect, direct, and select.
Inspect: Check your system for clogged, broken or missing sprinkler heads.
Connect: Examine points where the sprinkler heads connect to pipes or hoses. If water pools in your landscape or you have large wet areas, you could have a leak in your system. A leak as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen can use about 6,300 gallons of water per month!
Direct: Make sure to direct your sprinklers so that they apply water only to the landscape–not the driveway, house, or sidewalk.
Select: Install a water budget sprinkler timer to help you use the right amount of water to keep your yard green and healthy all summer. Learn how to select a timer that qualifies for a $25 rebate.
An improperly scheduled sprinkler timer can use more water than necessary. Align your watering schedule with the seasons with our Weekly Watering recommendations.
You can save even more water outdoors by using water wise landscaping principles. Check out our water conservation tips to make the most of every gallon.
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