 Your
Grass Can Be Greener
Water-Efficient Landscapes Start with Certified Irrigation Professionals
WaterSense, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, is dedicated to improving national water efficiency. This
partnership program seeks to help homeowners and businesses improve
water efficiency and reduce costs by promoting efficient irrigation
technologies, as well as water-efficient products for the home and
garden.
Having a beautiful landscape doesn’t have to mean wasting
water or money. WaterSense aims to take some of the guesswork out
of watering your yard by making it easy to find water-efficient
technologies and services. As part of this goal, WaterSense recognizes
professional certification programs that advance water-efficient
irrigation techniques and practices.
WaterSense makes it easy to find water-efficient products and services.
If you’re looking for an irrigation system designer, installation/maintenance
specialist, and or auditor for your landscape watering system, visit
the directory of WaterSense irrigation partners on the WaterSense
Web site to ensure the individual has received instruction and testing
on water-efficient techniques and practices.
Individuals who have successfully completed WaterSense labeled
certification programs must demonstrate professional competency
in water-efficient irrigation practices. WaterSense labeled certification
programs:
- Verify professional proficiency in water-efficient irrigation
system design, installation and maintenance, and performance audits.
- Test designers, installation/maintenance professionals, and
auditors on their water efficiency knowledge through examinations.
- Certify only experienced irrigation system designers and installation/
maintenance professionals.
- Require independent oversight.
- Demonstrate awareness of recent technology and innovations.
Consulting an irrigation professional certified through a WaterSense
labeled program can save water, time, and money. Ask your irrigation
professional about water-saving technologies, such as weather-based
irrigation controllers and moisture sensors, available for your
outdoor watering system. Even more important, conduct regular checks
and maintenance of your system to ensure ongoing water efficiency.
A certified irrigation professional with proven knowledge of water-efficient
technologies and practices can help you design, test, and maintain
an effective watering system for your yard and garden.
Don’t let an inefficient irrigation system control your water
bill!
Did you know that 30 percent of the water used by the average American
household is devoted to outdoor water use? In some parts of the
country, homeowners use as much as 70 percent of their water outdoors.
Some experts estimate that up to 50 percent of landscape water use
goes to waste due to evaporation, wind, or runoff caused by overwatering!
Following are some simple tips for homeowners to reduce their outdoor
water use dramatically:
- Using weather-based irrigation scheduling on a moderate-sized
yard can save about 30 gallons of water per day.
- The best time to water your yard is early morning, when winds
are calm and temperatures are cool.
- Grass doesn’t need to be watered every day; make sure your
lawn really needs it before irrigating. If you can stick a screwdriver
into your lawn easily—don’t water!
- Irrigation system maintenance varies depending on the system,
but it is always a good idea to inspect your system monthly to
prevent leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems.
- Converting to a water-efficient landscape through proper choice
of plants and careful design can reduce outdoor water use by 20
to 50 percent.
This document is also available in PDF
(4 pp, 639K, About PDF).
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