Save water, money with these helpful sprinkler system tips
Elizabeth Drozda-Freeman
As temperatures rise this summer, many of us will rely on our sprinkler systems to keep our lawns and landscaping thriving. Still, mysterious brown spots may appear in your yard.
Before rushing to a home improvement store to purchase chemical remedies or automatically increasing your watering, check out your irrigation system to be sure a broken or misdirected head is not the culprit.
Spend a few minutes with Elizabeth Drozda-Freeman, LCRA conservation landscape specialist, to unlock the mystery of brown spots in your yard.
Installing a rain sensor can save up to 30% on your outdoor water use
Follow the water schedule established by your utility
Place straight edge cups in each zone to find out how long it will take to put out ½ inch of water
Turn your sprinkler system on during the day to find broken, blocked, or misdirected heads
Did you know that irrigation systems on a typical suburban lot often use up to 3,000 gallons of water to go through a whole cycle?
Overpressurized irrigation systems can lose up to 25% of the water they put out due to fogging
When new sod is installed, landscapers often set the irrigation system to run as often as twice a day. After the first month, it is time to adjust to the maintenance schedule recommended by your water utility.
