Water conservation is certainly on the minds of homeowners in Colorado and other mid-western states, where drought conditions are often a way of life from year to year.
The National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska reports that people are becoming more aware and concerned about water usage and droughts, especially in the Four Corners region which includes Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
Yet walk down any residential street in Colorado in the early morning hours and you’ll see a host of poor irrigation practices – most notably puddles of water in places other than on lawns.
Poor irrigation practices aren’t necessarily contradictory to the comments above, but rather a lack of attention to how your irrigation system is actually functioning when it’s in use.
For most homeowners, irrigation systems typically run early in the morning or late at night when people are usually settled into the comfort of their homes. Incidentally, watering your lawn in the early mornings or evenings (after sunset) minimizes evaporation. It’s the best time for water to penetrate deep into the soil.
Because of the early (or late) activation times, homeowners rarely observe their irrigation system is action – which means you’re missing out on potential problems with your system.
At least once a month, when your irrigation system is actively in use:
- Scroll through each irrigation zone on your timer and make sure the ideal settings are in place. Watering your lawn every three days is better than daily watering. Deep rather than shallow watering of your lawn is recommended to nurture the roots. An inch of water to 12 inches of soil is the preferred ratio for watering actively growing grass.
- Run each zone on your sprinkler system for several minutes making sure to inspect for any heads that are not functioning properly or leaks in the lines. Don’t just stand near the garage and think you’ll see issues on the other side of your property. Walk around your property to inspect each zone up close.
- When inspecting your sprinkler heads, pay close attention to the directionality of the spray. Are heads spraying six feet into the street and on sidewalks? Are their patches of grass that are not adequately covered? Sprinkler heads are easily adjustable and is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer’s day.
Remember, it’s often what you can’t see that causes the most problems. Make sure you’re regularly inspecting your irrigation system to help conserve water, save money and hydrate your lawn more efficiently.
For information on irrigation systems, contact SavATree today.
